The Window Left Open
by brandisnoot
Summary: Now that Hook is in Storybrooke, he can finally get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin. However, there might be one thing standing in his way. The truth. The truth about his wife and child. The truth about himself. Meanwhile, Isabel Jones must also deal with the truth and the consequences of her own revelations. Killian/OC Tinkerbell -Sequel to Distant Melody-
1. Prologue: Choice

_**Hello, everyon! Welcome to the newest story in my still-yet-to-be-officially-named series! I have a few things to get out of the way first so please be patient while I keep house for a moment. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, Killian Jones/Captain Hook, any of the dialogue from the show (though it will be used at times), any other OUaT characters, any J.M. Barrie characters, etc. What I do own is the interpretation of Tinkerbell and Peter or any other characters we do not/rarely see on the show. This will eventually get more and more AU as I progress through the story. That being said, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan are not Rose McIver or Robbie Kay. **_

_**Cast List: Lucy Hale as Isabel Jones/Tinkerbell, Chandler Riggs as Peter, Nathan Fillion as William Smith, Rachel Weisz as Celeste Jones/Luna Rose, Ian Harding as Terence. Whenever I add a new character, I will let you guys know who has been cast as that character. **_

_**Lastly, I have a Tumblr page for my stories as well. I would love it if you guys would follow and message me there! I'll be sure to answer and follow back. Please be patient as I check it once every day, but I do have a lovely queue set up that posts several times a day. **_

_**And now...onto the story!**_

* * *

_Enchanted Forest - Past_

Nervousness filled Killian as he watched Isabel approaching the dock to meet him. Another adventure separated them. He left her for two moths this time, and every time he left now was worse than the last. He missed her too much. He'd leave. Regret instantly took over. Perhaps it was because he knew what it was like to hold her at night. Or maybe it was because they'd talked about marriage several times. They'd talked about their future a lot. The two of them married with a house full of children. Every time he thought about it while away, his heart yearned for that seaside village.

She stood in front of him, smile spread across her beautiful face. He remembered when they met. He remembered chasing her until she fell in love with him. The time he watched her dance by herself at the river. The very first time his eyes opened to see her face next time his eyes opened to see her face next to his on the pillow. He wondered if he ever would forget her or those moments, if he would pass to the afterlife with the memory of what it was like to know her. He hoped not, and as her lips found his, he knew he would remember her kiss. So innocent but also loving, passionate, and maddening. The scent of her hair filled his nose. Fire lilies. She smelled of fire lilies.

Killian never knew if she ever caught on to how much she'd changed him. She was his purpose. Having convinced his captain that he was ready for bigger jobs he knew he'd survive anything because she was waiting for him. Before Isabel, he felt lost. If someone caught him stealing from them, it didn't matter. They could kill him on the spot. He had nothing and no one to live for. His survival was not a big deal to him. He was just damn lucky he lived to loot again and most likely damned to die because of it. The second she kissed him, he knew recklessness was a flaw he needed to erase from his record. Isabel wouldn't stand for it. If he never returned, he was convinced she would hunt him down just to kill him again. It was funny how she managed to scare him a little. Not in a bad way. Their love for one another was easily the most intense and dizzying thing either of them ever experienced.

Her hand on his face brought him back to reality. She was staring up at him and smiling. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"Like what?" she asked, pulling her hand back and furrowing her eyebrows.

Killian shrugged. He took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "Let's go see your father. I need to talk to him about something."

"What's that?" she asked as they started to walk towards her father's shop.

"I'm going to ask him if I can marry you," he grinned over at her.

"You're going to what?" she asked, eyes growing wide.

"I'm going to ask your father for you hand in marriage. Then I'm going to take you to the river and give you the ring I bought for you," he told her.

She stopped walking. "Why are you telling me this?"

Killian turned to look at Isabel. She stood there with a somewhat confused expression. Eyebrows knit together, mouth turned downward with her bottom lip poking out slightly. Unsure why he was telling her, he shrugged. "I thought would you like to know. You don't like to be excluded."

"But you're asking my father for my hand. I shouldn't be there. I shouldn't know when you're going to propose. I should...I should be surprised; not expect it at all. You're supposed to," her voice cracked a little. "You're supposed to take me to the river one night after dinner. We're supposed to laugh and talk about how happy we make one another. Then you take my hand, tell me something absolutely ridiculous like I'm the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in the world, get down on one knee, and ask me to be yours forever." She cast her gaze downward, not wanting to look him in the eye.

Taking a step closer to her, he placed a finger under her chin and made her look up at him. "Is that how you've always pictured it?" A look of guilt covered her face as she nodded. "Then maybe it can happen that way. I won't say anything to your father just yet."

"I-I have stew waiting at his shop for everyone," she told him. "I figured it's been a while since you haven't had a full meal."

"Aye. We got a new cook, and he's not very good at rationing food. The first night out, he cooked the biggest meal he could for everyone. Angered Harry quite a bit." The two started to walk again. "Needless to say, we're in need of another cook."

Isabel giggled. "I'd offer my services, but we both know what Captain Finnegan would say." She started to imitate the captain. "'You're cookin's alright, girl, but I can't have me cabin boy spending all his time in the kitchen. Won't get any work done.'"

"You are a bit distracting," he admitted with a blush.

"I think you would do fine with me there. I would be the one that was distracted. Everyone would starve because I couldn't stop staring." She smiled up at him. "Also, I think I am far too pretty to be a pirate. Then again so are you."

"That's the difference, isn't it? I didn't have much of a choice. Not to mention, I'm an orphan. I do what I can to survive," he said, squeezing her hand. "But I now have you so maybe one day I'll have a choice. Until then, I'm nothing more than a pirate."


	2. Chapter 1: Vesper

_**I would like to thank the following people for review, favoriting, and/or following the story: Littledot, RosePotter123, readerlover16, SerahFalcon, scorpion girl, angelvoice15, Bubbles227, megamatchmaker, BloodMoonWanes, BeckyMotormouth, Southern-Belle18, Aislinn101, and Jordan Lynn 7. Thank you so so so so so much for sticking around. Or, if you're new, welcome! I wanted to get this up as soon as possible. A prologue really isn't something to judge if a story is going to be good or not. I tried to write as strong of a chapter as I could given the subject matter (which I will not spoil for anyone). I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. If you could, please review and let me know what you think. If you're not following and/or haven't favorited yet, you totally should. I'll love you forever and ever!**_

* * *

_Storybrooke - Present_

Isabel sat up in bed, and a quiet "no" fell from her lips. Her hand raised to her chest. Her heart beat as if it were trying to burst from her body. Something had sparked it to life, and Isabel just wanted it to stop. She knew the feeling. She remembered that feeling very well, but with little evidence he was actually on the ship, she didn't understand why she felt that way. As she tried to lay back down to go back to sleep, a pain grew in her heart. It physically hurt her when she tried to brush off what she knew to be the truth. He was there. He was in Storybrooke. Killian was alive, and that feeling /was/ her proof. It had to be. It was the only thing that made sense to her. Before she faked her death, she remembered feeling that same kind of flutter in her heart whenever he was getting closer. It never fully disappeared when she was in other realms. Then, when he arrived in Neverland, the fluttering almost became a dull ache. She guessed it was because he was suddenly made tangible to her again. If she had wanted, she could have touched him. Whenever she was near him on the island, the ache went away and the fluttering returned with a vengeance; sometimes making it difficult to fly away from him.

She lifted herself out of the bed. It seemed like her body was absolutely determined to have her do something completely stupid. Isabel needed to make sure it was him. She needed to make sure that he was really there. Part of her believed that the ship alone could be the cause of it, giving her heart false hope. Or, whoever was on the ship had killed him and hadn't deposited him yet. At the same time, she knew the latter couldn't be the case. True love linked their hearts. She would have felt if his suddenly stopped. Isabel always wanted to think that Killian knew in the back of his mind that she was still alive; that his turning into a ruthless pirate was only in response to his grief. He had to have known. She hoped some part of him did. Maybe it would soften the blow once he had time to process the truth.

The truth. That word scared her more than anything. Not because it wasn't time for the truth to come out yet again. Because she knew just how heartbreaking it was for him. As she ran a brush through her tangled hair, she realized that his presence in Storybrooke certainly did not mean that they were going to be a family again. He could easily deny any relation to their son. He could say their time together never really meant anything. Things could go very badly she realized. She didn't like it one bit, but maybe that was her real punishment for leaving him. Sometimes she wondered if maybe their relationship could have worked, maybe her being a fairy wasn't as big of a deal as her mother made it out to be. Maybe. Probably not. Isabel was never quite sure, but she was sure Killian would have felt lied to if he came back and she announced that she was a fairy. She didn't know many people who wouldn't feel that way. As much as she wanted him to be different. There was a chance that he hadn't been back then, and she realized that he most likely wouldn't be three hundred years later.

Before she knew it, Isabel was standing in the shadows of the old cannery. They provided just enough coverage that anyone passing by would not notice her. That's exactly what she needed. If Killian were on the ship, then she certainly was not prepared for what may happen when he saw her for the first time. For that, she would need time. She would have to choose her words wisely with him. He now had a temper that she would have to take into consideration, and that meant trying her best not to offend him in any way. It was a precarious situation that she found herself in. Leaning against the wall, she watched for any movement on the ship. So far, nothing exciting had happened, but it was only a matter of time before it did. As she watched, she tried to talk herself into leaving. She'd find out who was there soon enough. Then again, her body was not allowing her to leave. It certainly was not listening to anything her mind had to say. Logic be damned, she was going to find out who was on that ship whether she liked it or not. In the distance, she heard a thud on the deck. Her attention was immediately drawn to the noise. It sounded like heavy boots, and she heard muffled voices. Interest piqued, she found herself slinking closer to the ship. Luckily, the cannery was a long enough building that she didn't have to leave the safety of its shadows. Settling at the corner of the building, she could hear what was being said perfectly. For a second, she wished she had a better vantage point, but it wasn't long until she didn't have to want one. Two figures stepped off of the ship. The docks were just well lit enough to prove her biggest fears. One was Cora. The other was Killian.

She covered her mouth so she could gasp quietly. It was one thing to suspect he was there. It was another to see him in the flesh. She was reliving Neverland all over again. Only this time she was much larger and the likelihood of him recognizing her was exponentially bigger. Isabel watched the two of them. She recognized Killian's bow and helping Cora off the ship as a ruse. Not out of courtesy or anything but an act. His body language betrayed him when it came to Isabel. He might be able to fool Cora into thinking he was relaxed, but Isabel knew better. Little things gave it away. While he offered his hand, his hook fidgeted behind his back. His calm face was only a mask because his jaw clenching in the slightest showed he didn't like the woman's touch at all. The contact was completely unwanted by him.

"Well, my dear Cora," he began, "this is where we shall part ways. Thank you for everything. It's time for me to skin my crocodile."

As he turned to walk away from her in search of Rumplestiltskin, Cora disappeared in a puff of purple smoke; only to reappear in front of him in another purple cloud. "You might want to rethink this."

"We had a deal. Get out of my way," he told her darkly.

"Believe it or not, I'm doing you a favor," she said.

Isabel watched as apparent annoyance covered his face. She didn't know what he had been through with Cora, but it seemed he was close to losing his patience with the powerful woman. She watched as his jaw clenched before he spoke again. "By preventing my vengeance?"

"Ask yourself how exactly am I doing that." A smirk grew on her face, and she hoped for Killian's sake that he didn't fly off the handle.

"By using your dark magic," he sighed.

Cora nodded. "Magic is here. And that makes matters a bit more complicated. If you go off half-cocked after an empowered Rumpelstiltskin, do you know what'll happen?" She waited for a response from Killian. "So, you do. Good."

Isabel took a deep breath. It wasn't surprising that he was after Rumplestiltskin, but at the same time, she had hoped he would have found a new reason to live other than vengeance he may never gain. Shaking her hand, she turned her attention back to the pair in front of her, but now the pair was a trio. One of the local fisherman was approaching them, and she wanted to rush out to warn him against it. She didn't know who he was in the enchanted forest, if he had been a person at all really. Isabel knew him as Frank. He was a sweet man who never asked questions when she took up space on the docks. On cold days, he'd offer her coffee. On slow business days, he'd sit with her. Never once asking why she was drawn to the water or if she were lost in general. Instead, he would tell her the same fishing story for twenty-eight years. Even after the curse was lifted, she never got tired of hearing it. Isabel clenched her fists tightly as she fought the urge to warn the sweet man whose friendly nature was about to bite him in the ass. She just knew it.

"You folks need anything?" he asked. "Tackle shop don't open until mornin', but if you want to go and try and snare some of New England's pescatarian creatures, I'd be happy to open early for ya."

"No, thank you. We're fine," Killian sounded even more annoyed to be interrupted than he was to have whatever he had planned be foiled.

Frank looked up at the Jolly Roger. As Isabel remembered it, he had a thing for ancient ships. "Fine vessel you got there. When'd ya get in?"

"What vessel?" Cora asked. Isabel bit her lip while Frank began to stutter an answer, obviously confused by the question. Then Cora lifted her hand, activating a cloaking spell. A shoddy one as Isabel noted.

"That's a neat trick! You some kind of magician back in our land?" Frank asked.

The term must have offended Cora because, with another wave of her hand, Frank turned into a fish. It took everything in Isabel not to run to help him. Killian stepped forward and kicked the even more helpless man into the water.

"What did you do with my ship?" Killian asked.

"I hid it from prying eyes. For what we both want to do, we'll need the element of surprise," she told him. "Now. Ready to listen to me?" Isabel could hear the mocking tone in Cora's voice, as if she outsmarted Killian.

An exasperated sigh left Killian's lips. "Go on, your majesty. What now?"

"Let's go have a little look around this Storybrooke, shall we?" Cora smiled before walking past Killian.

* * *

Killian began walking with Cora, but he glanced over at the large building across the way from him. He barely made out the form of someone crouching in the shadows. They were hidden well but not well enough. Whoever it was obviously didn't know much about him. They obviously didn't realize he was as perceptive as he was. At any given moment, Killian was extremely aware of his surroundings. He pretty much had to if he needed to survive. He stopped walking and told Cora he would catch up with her. Thankfully, she didn't ask any questions. He began by pacing the docks for a few minutes, trying to fake out the spying fool.

He took a deep breath before he pretended to follow after Cora. Once he was sure he was out of the onlooker's sight, he stepped into the same shadow they were hidden in. He quietly drew his sword as he approached the small figure. Considering their size, he wondered if it was one of those brats that tormented him in Neverland. He hoped it was Tootles. After Peter, Tootles gave him the most grief. Always trying to prove himself to the flying boy. Never doing more than putting himself in the position to be saved. To Killian, it was slightly amusing. The child was desperate for approval enough that he would risk himself. It would seem heroic if it weren't so stupid. Still, Killian had a bone to pick with Tootles.

The figure crouched at the corner of the building, and Killian realized something about them. It wasn't a boy to begin with. The person had long brown hair that hung down their back. It had a slight curl to it, and the scent was somewhat familiar. It reminded him of...no, she was gone. That was something he made peace with centuries before. Reaching out with his sword, he tapped the person on the shoulder.

"Easy there. Sudden movements will get you cut," he told her calmly. "On your feet, lass. Slow and steady now." Her posture straightened as she rose to her feet. The two of them stepped into the pale yellow light of the streetlamp. He noticed just how small the woman was; delicate with soft curves. He swallowed thickly, hoping she would cooperate. Killian honestly would rather not spill the blood because of her curiosity. Yet, if she proved herself more troublesome than need be, he might not have any choice but to slice her. "Turn around."

"No," she told him, voice dark and soft.

"Turn around or I'll take bits and pieces off you one by one," he threatened.

"Gonna kill me anyway," she argued. "Just do it. It's the least that I deserve."

Her words threw him off guard. He was just about to ask what she meant when he decided it was probably nothing. Lowering the sword, he caught her around the shoulder with his hook and gently spun her around. For a moment, the face didn't register. She was a stranger to him, but then a pain went through his heart and he started to truly see her. Those large blue eyes. Those naturally pouty lips. That button of a nose. The curve of her jaw. The way her hair waved around her face to frame it perfectly. He knew that face better than he knew his own, but he didn't want to believe it was her. Isabel - his Isabel - was dead. She was murdered and burned along with their house. Their child was murdered too. The apparition in front of him was not his Isabel. Instead, she must have been a trick of Cora's to keep him from straying from the plan. Dropping his sword, his confusion turned into anger and hatred.

"I don't know who you are," he growled; eyes turning dark, "but you will take that face off or I swear I will run you through!" He pushed the fake Isabel away from him, and he watched as she stumbled back.

She caught herself quickly and regained her posture. "I can't take my face off. It's my face."

Tightly gripping her wrist in his hand, he shoved her against the wall. His hook pressed into her neck close to her pulse. One thrust of the curved steel, and her blood would be all over the ground. "Cora, take her fucking face off! Now!"

"I am not Cora!" she yelled back. "It's me."

Me. The way she said it was convincing enough, but he still couldn't bring himself to believe that his wife was still alive. Not after three hundred years. Not to mention, he saw her ashes in what was barely left of their home. He found her shawl laying not far from it. She was dead. Her father confirmed it. Even after three hundred years, there was no way she could still be alive. He only lived that long because he was in Neverland, and he certainly didn't remember any grown women there. His arm pressed her further into the wall. "You are not Isabel. She is dead, and that is the last warning I am going to give you. Change your face or die, lass."

His eyes tried not to linger on her face too long because he found himself slowly giving in. Pushing away from her, he started to pace. This time it wasn't a ruse to buy time. He needed to think, clear his head, tell himself that she was not there. Isabel couldn't be there, but when he looked at her, something in his heart told him that she might be. He might be staring at a ghost, but she might be there. The girl didn't push herself off the wall. She just watched him with wide eyes. Maybe she was shocked. Maybe the imposter was frightened. After all, it probably wasn't every day that a man with a hook for a hand threatened her life. Whatever emotion was written on her face, it didn't matter. Killian couldn't bring himself to look at her fully. There was no way, absolutely no fucking way she could be standing there against the building. Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair and glanced over at her. Everything was the same, down to the tiniest detail about Isabel he could remember, and yet he refused to believe it was really her.

"You're not her," he whispered before looking away again and shaking his head. "You're not a trick by Cora. You are a ghost, something my mind has conjured up. I want to see you here, but you are not her and I think it best if you leave before I start believing you are."

That was it. He was sure she was an apparition. She had to be. What other explanation could there be? Before he had met Milah, Killian would drink so much so he could forget Isabel, yet he would drink himself to the point where he swore her memory grew stronger. It was as if she were in the room with him. He could smell those fire lilies she loved so much. He could touch the soft skin of her cheek. Until Milah, his nights were spent like that. Milah's death should have replaced Isabel's image with Milah's, but no matter how many times he'd try to forget, the night was Isabel's. Not even Neverland could erase her from his memory. He remembered hearing that the island was magical, that its inhabitants would slowly forget the lives they once led. No luck for Killian. The island of forgetfulness only worked on the mind but not on the heart. Where Milah was written on his heart, Isabel was engraved.

* * *

He needed a moment before she stepped towards him. That's what she told herself. Let Killian have his moment. Slowly, his heart would work on him too. The struggle of whether or not she was real played out on his face. Joy, anger, grief, despair, elation, guilt...it was all there. The worse part of watching was she couldn't just reach out and hold onto him while he worked through what he knew was the truth. Isabel's heart stopped aching, but his pain was palpable. She felt it more than she had felt her own. As he paced in front of her, she reached up and pulled a delicate gold chain from underneath. Dangling from it was her wedding ring. Since she and Terence were still dating, she didn't feel right wearing it when she was with him. Not on her finger at least. It was the one thing she knew Killian would not be able to deny. Her father had made it for her, and somewhere on the ship was Killian's. Isabel felt guilty for knowing that bit of information. As Tinkerbell, she often would visit him just to check in. One night she saw him holding the ring up. She was so excited to see it that she almost blew her cover. Her wings fluttered, causing a soft tinkling sound to emit from them.

Pushing herself off the metal building, Isabel didn't take a step closer to Killian. Instead, she stood there and hoped he would see the ring glisten in the light. Isabel watched as he managed to move farther away from her. He treated more into himself. Tears tickled her eyes; one slipping down her cheek. Enough, she told herself. It was probably a dangerous move, but she took a step closer to him. Her hand found his, squeezing it lightly to assure him that she was there. Her eyes searched his face for any sign of recognition. The contact went unregistered. His eyes stayed downcast, but one thing did seem to click. He dropped her hand to reach up and brush his fingertips over her necklace.

"Since when does a figment of my imagination not wear her wedding ring?" he asked, finally looking up at her. "Are you a demon sent by Rumplestiltskin to kill me?"

"No." Her voice sounded small, and it cracked slightly.

"You're dead," he spoke softly.

"No," she repeated.

"My child." His hand went to her stomach and found it flat.

Her breath hitched at the contact. She had almost forgotten how big she was the last time he saw her. "A boy."

He shook his head. "You're-you're..."

"Here," she told him as she put his hand over her heart. "Flesh, blood, and bone. Heart beating. Alive." Placing a hand on his cheek, she looked him in the eyes. "Look at me. Fully look at me. See me."

"I can't." He moved away from her again. "If I acknowledge you're real, then all of my worst, long-lost fears are true! You are not her! You are not my wife! She died in a fire, as did our unborn child. I spent eight years of my life avenging her death. You cannot be her. You are not my Isabel."

A lump formed in her throat, choking her. More tears fell as she tried to step closer. She had felt him. She had touched his skin, had him in front of her again. She saw her husband, not Captain Hook. Her step forward was met with another attempt to get away from her. He wanted her to go. That much was obvious, but she found walking away rather difficult. Her feet remained cemented on the pavement. Leaving wasn't an option. With the truth almost out, she needed to tell him everything. She needed to confess her sins and hope he would one day learn to forgive her for them. The latter was unlikely, but she needed to hold out at least for Peter. All Peter ever wanted was his family together. He wanted a mother and father. Parents. Terence was a wonderful father figure, but like most children, he secretly wanted his real dad despite his true identity.

Silence fell between them. The tension in the air staunched any conversation. They just stood there. Killian faced away from her, and Isabel kept her arms crossed over her chest as if to protect herself. Minutes passed, creating a sense of hopelessness to fill Isabel. Her body finally released her so she could escape. Just as she was about to, Killian turned to her. He made two long strides over to her and pressed his lips to her. There it was. The spark their kiss produced that only meant one thing: true love. That familiar tingle jolted their hearts, and Killian couldn't deny the proof. Isabel was real. She was right there. Isabel knew he had questions. For the moment, she enjoyed kissing the only man she ever truly wanted. She enjoyed feeling his hand grasp her waist. She even enjoyed the curve of his hook lightly resting there too. In her 329 years, he was all she wanted. He was her one and only love. She savored the revelation, knowing that none of the bliss she felt would last much longer.

Breaking the kiss, he pressed his forehead against her. Once again, silence befell them. This time it was teeming with his unanswered questions. He was the first to break the silence. "How is this even possible?"

Isabel froze. It was time. She reached down to move his hand and hook away from her, putting a little distance between them. She looked down and prepared herself for the worst. "To make it short, I faked my death?"

"Why?" he asked calmly.

"That's the long version." She looked up at him. "I'm not exactly human. I'm half human actually. I'm a fairy."

"I don't follow," he told her.

"My mother never died either. Shortly after I was born, she got a visit from my grandparents. My grandmother had fallen very ill. She wasn't going to live much longer, and they asked my mother to go with them to the Vale of the Fairies, which she did. My grandmother died. My mother inherited her magic. Before her death, my grandmother told my mother that, if she returned to our land, her family would constantly be in danger." Isabel paused to make sure he was following. Once he nodded, she continued. "Our clan is a powerful one. The most powerful one. My mother was told my father and I would most likely be murdered by someone seeking to gain her power if she didn't stay in the fairy realm. She did return, but it was only to fake a sudden illness and her death."

"What does that have to do with us?" he asked.

Us. He referred to them as "us," and it made sense. Both of them were affected by her decision. Isabel was happy to see he hadn't only thought of himself. "My mother paid me a similar visit while you were gone. Only she waited too late. I obtained her magic a few minutes before she passed away in my father's arms."

"You could have stayed," he told her darkly. Maybe he wasn't taking her story as well as she thought.

"I know, but I could not bear the idea of you dying because of my selfishness." She looked up at him. "I never wanted to leave."

"But you did," he retorted quickly. "And you took our son with you. Burned our home. For what? Power?" His face was turning red, and his anger became more and more evident.

"Killian, I didn't see any other way to save you than to leave," she countered.

"You could have waited. We could have went somewhere safe. We could have been a family." He shook his head. "You left because you wanted to."

She stayed silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Isabel couldn't let her own building anger get the best of her. Not when she was about to make everything much worse. But how dare him! How dare he imply that what she had done was not out of love for him and their son. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought about it, played the different scenarios out in her mind. She had to the point of exhaustion. As far as she was concerned, there was no way around it. Killian would not be able to live in the Vale of the Fairies. Humans were not allowed. Half humans were because of their fairy blood, but he would not have been allowed at all. They would have had to take their chances in a world where greed, selfishness, and the want of power fueled people and led them to do terrible things. She could not see Killian, Peter, or herself surviving very long in that world. And she left.

"Well. Your son will be proud to know his father is still a dick. Leave it to Captain Hook to only think about himself and feel betrayed that someone actually did something to save him," she spat at him.

"Save me? You created me, Isabel!" His voice rose with each word. "And what the hell would my son know about me?"

"Everything. He's Peter Pan."


	3. Chapter 2: The First Unfairness

**_Hey, everyone! Before I thank everyone, I want to once again reiterate that this is an AU story. It will be moving more and more away from the show as the story nears season 3. That means that the whole Peter Pan is Rumple's dad will not be happening in this story. My Tink is not the Tink on the show. So on and so forth. Now onto the lovely people that have reviewed, favorited, and/or followed the story: Littledot, readerlover16, The Story Smith, BadWolF89, Southern-Belle18, Yin7, Kira Tsumi, CosplayerHikari, Jordan Lynn 7, SurferGirl711, viciousblackrose, AeydenOrion, willbendforhonor, vampire luverxoxo, Reno Obsessed Fangirl, lilybelle101, and WalkingFRENZY. I love and appreciate you all for the support! _**

* * *

_Enchanted Forest - Past_

Isabel ran as fast as she could home. Her father had just received some fantastic news, and she needed to tell Killian immediately. Throwing the door open, she looked around the room. Nowhere so she trudged upstairs to his room. She knocked on the door before opening it. He sat on his bed with a book in hand. He seemed so lost in what he was reading because he didn't look up at her at first. She bounced onto the bed and poked his side.

"Hey!" she beamed.

He set the book down slowly, smiling over at her. "Hello to you."

"Guess what," she giggled.

"You've eaten another basket full of sweet rolls?" he teased.

"No...just half. Anyways, the king is in the village," she told him.

"Isabel, I'm a pirate. I have to stay away from kings," he chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, she settled beside him and leaned against the headboard. "Not that. King Ferdinand has commissioned father to arm all his knights with knew swords."

"And that is a good thing?" he asked, still teasing Isabel.

"Yes! King Ferdinand has the largest army of knights that only the ogres are stupid enough to attack his people." She squealed and threw her arms around him. "He's getting paid enough that he could retire if he wanted to."

"Which you know he doesn't want to." His arms went around her as well, pulling her close.

"Why aren't you more excited?" she whined.

"I am excited, Isabel. I am very happy for you two," he smiled, kissing her cheek. "It's incredibly good news that your father is getting such a big job, but he's just one man. It's a very tall order to fill. Literally."

"Well yes, but I told him that I would help as much as I can," she shrugged.

"Isabel, you know he is too proud to accept help from you. You are his daughter. He's not going to make you learn a trade just to fulfill an order," he said.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't contribute. Besides, I would feel really guilty living off that money when I didn't lift a finger to help. I can't just cook and keep his home up for him. That's not enough," she pouted.

"He'll find a way for you to help." He turned her chin up to look at him. He kissed her quickly to stop her pouting. "I just don't think your father will allow you to do any hard labor." He looked her over. "Did you run all the way here? You're flushed."

She nodded finally taking a deep breath. "I did. I ran as soon as the king left father's shop."

"You ran in front of the king?" he asked in amusement.

"Out of the back. I ran out of the back," she corrected.

Killian shook his head as he pulled her closer to him. Isabel smiled up at him, kissing him softly before resting her head on his shoulder. Her excitement for her father still buzzed through her body. It really was the best news they could have ever gotten. Maybe after this one job he would slow down. William worked too hard in her opinion, but it wasn't as if he had much of a choice. They had to survive. Isabel would rather he not work himself too hard. He wasn't getting any younger. Soon he would need to take on an apprentice if he wanted to keep the shop going. She wondered if Killian would take up the trade. He'd mentioned a couple of times that he would have to give up piracy once they were married. Isabel never said anything. As much as she would like for him to give it up, she was not about to say anything. She never wanted him to regret the decision. Should he ever regret it, she certainly didn't want him to resent her for forcing his hand. It was all his decision, but it would be nice if he would help her father in the shop. The idea of it made her smile. It was as Killian said. She wouldn't be able to take over the shop when her father retired. He wouldn't allow it, but keeping it in the family was a good idea.

"May I ask what your father did before he...well, you know," she looked up at him.

They didn't talk about his family much. He would mention his mother, but he hardly ever mentioned his father. It was not lost on her that Killian felt somewhat betrayed by him. How could he not? After losing his mother, all he had was his father. She had been in the same boat. She could not imagine her father dropping everything and leaving her to fend for herself. Killian was lucky to have met Captain Finnegan. Isabel didn't want to force him to talk about father, but at the same time, she had her questions. They couldn't continue not talking about his past. He knew all about hers, but he was somewhat secretive at times about his own.

"He was a fisherman," Killian answered quietly. "We had plans that we would travel all the realms together. We were packed and ready to go, but when I woke up the morning we were supposed to depart, he was gone."

Isabel looked down. "He just left? Didn't even say goodbye?"

"No. He was just gone. Everything we had packed was missing, and he was just gone." He pressed his lips to the top of Isabel's head. "Don't feel sorry for me, love. I've...my life is much better now."

"I can't help it," she mumbled.

"I know. My life seemed like it was over when he left, and for the longest time, it was. I like to think I got a little bit of a second chance with Harry. Then with you...well, you are absolutely my second chance at a happy life," he smiled to himself. "If it wasn't for my father, I don't think I would have met you when I did. I needed you in my life. Harry sending me out to pickpocket was actually serendipitous."

She shook her head. "Only you would think being a thief was serendipitous."

"Wasn't it, though?" he asked.

"Of course it was," she smiled up at him. "Then again, if I hadn't noticed you were a snake, I don't think things would have worked out for us until much later."

"And only you would think threatening my life is what made it all happen." He rolled his eyes. "Let's just agree that whatever brought us together was the best thing to ever happen to us."

She nodded. "Deal."

* * *

A chuckle escaped Killian as he watched Isabel dance around his room. After her father came home, everyone celebrated with a glass or three of William's favorite wine. Being small, Isabel couldn't quite hold her alcohol like Killian or her father. Somehow Killian managed to convince his drunken love to go upstairs, but he could not get her to go to bed just yet. Instead, she insisted on going to his room to continue celebrating the good news. Killian was a little scared of what that might actually mean. Whenever Isabel drank, she would throw herself at him. He'd remind her that they were waiting until they were married, and for the rest of the night, she would pout in her room. He needed to play his cards right if that were the case. It wasn't. Her idea of continuing the celebration was actually dancing about his room and singing softly to herself. Why they needed to be in his room for that was beyond him. Then again, Isabel had also taken a liking to sneaking in his room to simply sleep next to him.

He watched her yawn while spinning. Surely she must be getting tired. With the alcohol and the energy she was spending, she had to be getting close to needing sleep. Not that Killian wanted her to go to bed to get rid of her. He enjoyed whatever time he got to spend with her, but time was running out for him. He needed to sneak out of the Smith house to find his captain. There were pressing matters at hand that he needed to address. He needed advice, and time was quickly dwindling down. Harry stayed at a local tavern when in the village. Because of that, Harry often would get drunk. Killian needed to reach him before Harry was too drunk to remember anyone's name. Otherwise, he would have to come up with some sort of excuse to go somewhere without Isabel. Sneaking away from her was nearly impossible. It was easier when he'd been home for a week or so, but he had just gotten home. Getting her to allow him out of her sight was not even an option so he needed to sneak out once she went to bed.

She waltzed over to him with a smile on her face. Isabel stumbled a little but caught herself before it got ugly. Still, Killian rested his hands on her hips as she stood in front of him. "I think I need to sleep," she told him. Her eyes looked like it took all her strength to keep them open. Her voice was getting softer, sounding somewhat smaller. She lazily draped her arms about his shoulders and let out a slow breath before nodding slightly. "Def-definitely time for bed."

Killian guided her a step back so he could stand. Bending slightly, he crooked his arm under her knees and lifted her. "Then allow me to tuck you in."

Isabel didn't fight him as he left his room and went into hers. Gently setting her on the bed, he pulled the cover up to her chin. He tried not to laugh when Isabel wiggled until she was perfectly positioned in bed. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with her. She looked so cozy, but he needed to leave. The sooner Isabel was asleep, the quicker he'd be out the door. Kissing her on the cheek, he let his lips linger. Already she was breathing slower, deeper. He smiled to himself. He had meant everything he said to her. She was his chance at happiness. He had found it in her, and every time he was near her, Killian was reminded of that. Yes, it scared him that the elation he felt was basically a person. Yet, he knew he loved her more than anything. He would do anything for her. Anything she asked him to. Killian was not stupid. He knew she saw him working in her father's shop once they were married. He also knew part of him would really miss being on the water. The ocean was in his blood, and that meant he would never get away from it. Killian did like the idea of working alongside William. After all, William was also like a father figure to him. One day William would be his father-in-law. For Killian, it made sense to go from working next to Harry and moving on to the other father-like person. It would be an honor to learn William's trade.

Minutes passed, and Killian finally found himself able to leave Isabel's room. He turned down the lamp by her bed enough that a soft glow lingered in the room. Backing out of the door, he closed it softly before turning to his own. It took him seconds to locate his boots and tug them onto his feet. He was still dressed from the day; part of his plan to sneak out. He was thankful he did not have to sneak out past William. The older man had already excused himself for the night. His soft snores echoed throughout the lower portion of the house. Getting away was easy, and Killian soon found himself heading down the dirt path towards the town.

The tavern was entirely too loud for Killian's liking. Having accompanied his father to a couple, he never really liked the atmosphere. Too many shady characters in one place. Of course, who was he to judge any of them? Many of them were just the town drunks. Some of them were pirates just like him. Still, he didn't really care much for the drinking or the barely dressed women running around. Killian may have seemed like a cocky bastard to most that met him, but there was a difference between acting like a pirate and turning into one. For the most part, he was a pirate. He stole. He lied. He did things he often should not be proud of. Then there was the part of him that didn't feel that much like a pirate. He should have loved the tavern, the loose women, and the never-ending supply of rum. He didn't. Killian had his true love. Rum made him violently ill one too many times. And, taverns were where you went when you had nowhere else to go or didn't plan on staying around for long. As he made his way over to Harry's favorite table, he watched as a few of his shipmates wandered up the stairs with two fairly fat women. They were obviously drunk off their asses, and the women both looked as if their breasts would spill out of their dresses at any moment. Killian shuddered to think about what depravities would go on once they found their respective rooms. He just hoped Paolo and Victor didn't come down with the same disease that took the men they replaced.

To anyone who didn't know Captain Harry Finnegan, he didn't look much like a pirate. He looked mostly like a traveling merchant who spent more time at the dinner table than he did doing his job. He was a fat, happy man with a thick red beard. More often than not, his face matched the shade of his facial hair. Harry had a hearty, infectious laughter. Those that knew him would say that was only the surface. Inside of that shell was a fearsome man who could befriend you one minute and kill you in the next. Only Killian knew the real Harry Finnegan. He too was broken, having lost everything he cared for. He also had no choice when it came to becoming a pirate. Join a crew or die. Killian knew it well. Dying was never an option for a man like Harry Finnegan. Just because life had kicked him while he was down so many times that he mostly didn't know what up was anymore? Well that didn't mean that he couldn't at least pull himself sideways until he got up again. That's what Harry had done for himself, and that's what he eventually did for Killian. Piracy was just sideways enough that it didn't take long for either of them to find their way in the world. That was why Killian knew leaving Harry would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do. It felt like a slap in the face of the man who gave him a life again. Harry at least realized that Isabel was Killian's purpose.

"Killian, my boy!" Harry bellowed as he stood and embraced Killian. "What brings you here so late at night?"

Killian tried to gauge if Harry was too far gone for a conversation. He didn't smell too much like rum so Killian decided to take his chances. He took the seat Harry offered him but turned down the waitress who tried to give him a beer. "I was wondering if you had time to talk."

"Talk? What about?" Harry asked.

"I'd rather not do it down here. Do you think we could go somewhere quieter? A little more private?" Killian looked around. Several eyes were on them, and he knew they would end up eavesdropping on any conversation. He certainly didn't need that for what he needed to talk to Harry about.

The older man looked Killian over before nodding. "Follow me." He stood, and as he did so, he caught a waitress by the arm. "Have my dinner and a bottle of your strongest rum delivered to my room." She nodded and scurried away, obviously frightened of the man. Motioning for Killian to move forward, he pointed up the staircase. "Come. We can go to my room."

The two of them walked through the crowd of people. Even more eyes turned their attention to Killian and Harry. Killian tried not to wince as he noticed all the attention. Heading up the stairs, the obvious sounds of sex could be heard through the walls. Several men all groaned and grunted while their women friends all faked their way through ecstasy. One time Killian heard some of his shipmates discussing their nights with the prostitutes in various towns. It seemed they didn't care the women weren't enjoying themselves. As long as they got off, what did it really matter? Killian would never understand it. Maybe he was too young or preoccupied with other things to really understand why his shipmates often spent their time with women like that. Then again, he also guessed it was expected of their type. Unsavory men deserved equally unsavory women. Killian fancied himself too noble, too honorable to follow in their footsteps.

Killian followed Harry into his room. Looking around, he noticed the bed was unmade. There were empty bottles strewn about the room, and a plate with a half-eaten meal attracting flies at the small table in the corner. No matter where Harry slept, it always looked the same down to the maps being scattered across every flat surface he could get them on. They may not have been leaving for some time, but Harry always plotted courses in his spare time. He closed the door behind himself and Killian before moving a few maps off the bed.

"What is this about?" Harry asked.

"Earlier today, I received word from a fisherman on the location of Isabel's locket," Killian told him. "At the moment, the man who possess it is stationary. I take it he plans to be for some time. However, you and I both know that men like us never stay in one place for too long."

Harry nodded. "And you want to know if we can leave?"

"No. Well, sort of." Killian sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Isabel is expecting me to stay for as long as we planned. I'm afraid she won't forgive me if I leave."

"But you also fear that whoever has the necklace will leave," Harry concluded.

"Yes. I...I want to know what you would do in my situation." He didn't often ask for that kind of advice. Killian liked to think he had a lot figured out. This was something he definitely needed advice on.

"You cannot leave and break Isabel's heart like that. Her father may like you, my boy, but a man will quickly turn on those that hurt his children." He scratched his beard.

"Then...then maybe you and the men could go check up on things. Make sure the man has the necklace," Killian suggested.

Harry didn't hesitate with his next response. "No."

No was not a word the boy was used to. He usually got what he wanted from Harry, and Harry didn't refuse Killian much of anything. He spoiled Killian honestly. Harry's philosophy was not to be too strict with Killian. Feeling Killian needed to learn his life lessons on his own, Harry would say yes to just about every whim the boy had. Danger and risk factored very little into Harry's decisions. He did manage to protect Killian from the more life threatening lessons. Sometimes Harry's "lessons" annoyed Killian because he knew Harry set him up for failure. At the same time, they were just what he needed and he couldn't deny it. His failures made his successes that much sweeter. Still, Killian was shocked to hear Harry say no.

"What do you mean no?" Killian demanded.

"Y'hear me, boy. No. I ain't risking me crew on an errand we know nothing about and have little time to plan proper," Harry answered.

"The crew know all about the necklace," Killian argued.

"Who has the necklace, Killian? What is his name?" Harry asked.

Killian could not answer his captain and saw his point. His lead had been vague; probably giving only half of the information on purpose. His source was about as reliable as his shipmates after a night much like the one they were currently having. "I just know he's on Locura."

"Locura?" Harry's eyes widened, disbelief absolutely evident in the green orbs.

"I know what-" Killian began.

But Harry cut him off. "No! Locura is just as the word means. Madness. No one is going, and that's me final word on the matter."

La Isla de Locura had a reputation for causing madness in anyone who visited it for too long. The only people that went there were the ones that were already mad. Even the dirtiest of pirates wouldn't go there unless they absolutely had to. Killian felt he had to go. If it meant getting Isabel's necklace back, there was no choice to be had. He thought Harry would understand. After all, Harry pushed Killian in Isabel's direction. Yes, Killian was already in love with her. Harry made sure they returned to that little seaside village so Killian wouldn't be without her. He put Killian in the situation to win her affections, and he often preached that Killian should do all he can to make her happy and keep her. Finding the necklace was one of those things Harry referred to, and usually Harry would help Killian plot out where it seemed to be traveling. Now that La Locura was involved, Harry seemingly shook in his boots.

"Look," Killian sighed. "I realize it's dangerous to even set foot on the island..."

"No you don't. You don't know what kind of dangers are out there," Harry told him.

"Because you won't let me experience any of it," Killian spat back, not really meaning to.

"I am trying to protect you!" Harry's voice rose slightly as he stood. He may have been a corpulent man, but he was also a tall man. He seemingly towered over Killian.

Killian didn't back down. "You preach learning lessons from my mistakes, yet you shelter me as if I am still a child. I am a man. I know you want to protect me for her sake, but this is something I have to do for her. I have to make sure that I always have her heart. Finding her locket will do that. You said you would help me as much as you could when I told you about it. Now you're going back on that promise. Why?"

"Because it is a fruitless and you will die if you keep following after it!" Harry yelled. It wasn't anger in his voice. He was distressed.

And normally Killian would respond to that by leaving well enough alone. However, Killian was desperate to hear a yes from his captain. It was one thing to keep him out of all the major fights and send him on petty jobs. It was another thing to block him from going after something he had his heart set on. Killian growled in frustration at the older man before he started in on him. "You are a fucking hypocrite. You said you would help me find the locket. You promised you would help me obtain it. You swore that I would be able to do this for Isabel, but here you are telling me that I cannot go after it because of where it might be located at the moment. Did it not occur to you that time might be limited here? That I may not get a lead like this ever again. This may be my only shot to prove to Isabel that I love her more than anything, and you're standing in the way of it! And after you did all you could to get me back here to her, to make sure that my feelings for her was not just some young boy's infatuation. You know just how dangerous Locura is, and you know that I'm going the first chance I get. You know there is a possibility that I might not make it back. You've kept me alive this long for what? So I can die from lack of experience in fighting? And don't you know what that will do to Isabel? If I die, she very well may die of heartbreak or live her days out as a spinster. Then what? You want that on your hands? This is my chance at retrieving something that was taken from her, a piece of her mother, and you're refusing to help. Have you ever been so fiercely in love with someone, cared so much for them, that your life didn't seem to matter unless they were happy? If you had, then you wouldn't be denying me."

He opened his mouth to say much more, but the back of Harry's hand connected with the boy's cheek. "You watch your tongue, boy, or I'll cut it out myself! I have half a mind to relinquish you of your duties on me crew, and relinquish me from having to put up with you."

The older man huffed for a second to calm himself. As he did so, Killian tried to come to terms with what happened. He'd been in a few scrapes with his shipmates and a few with some boys in the village where he lived with his parents. No punch to the gut, knee to the groin, or kick to the shin could prepare him from the sheer shock of someone he admired backhanding him. In his temper tantrum, all he could think about was how unfair Harry was being for telling him no. He now thought only about how unfair it was that Harry could deliver a blow to his confidence as his father had. He remembered something from when he was very young. No more than six years of age, he'd broken a pot that had been his grandmother's. It was a dusty old thing so he never thought to be careful around it. While he ran about the hut like a heathen, his elbow knocked the dingy clay vessel to the ground. His mother set his father upon him to punish him for being so careless. Xavier was never a heavy handed man nor was he a cruel man. The idea of spanking Killian made his skin crawl, but it had to be done. Later that night as he continued to cry, he listened to his mother explain the whole practice to Xavier._ "Love, you mustn't fret over this any longer. Killian will forgive you for this unfairness. It's the first time after all."_ Of course, Xavier questioned what she meant so Francesca continued. _"Our little boy may never be quite the same after this, but it will not be because he no longer loves you or he fears you. It is because he's learned from it."_ Killian realized that Francesca practiced the same doctrine Harry did.

Looking up, he saw Harry looking back at him wearing the same mortified expression his father had worn. Harry had never lifted a hand against Killian before, and the shock of his own actions covered his face. A solemn look came over him. He reached out for Killian, hugging him to him. "I cannot let you go to Locura on your own. I can't let you go at all. Please understand why."

All Killian could do was nod in response. His speechlessness caused more by the embrace than the slap. The only person that dared held him after displaying any kind of harshness was Isabel, and her kind of harshness was not the striking kind. He stood stiffly as Harry continued to hug him for a moment. He always knew Harry considered him family, but it was becoming more and more apparent that Harry saw Killian as his son. Isabel surmised that was the case upon first glance of Harry. For Killian, it was a one-sided thing. Harry was certainly like a father to Killian. He didn't just teach Killian the hard way. He thought him things like how to properly sword fight or how certain knots function. In a way, he taught Killian how to trust again which led Killian to opening himself up to love. Not just the love he found in Isabel, but the type of love that only a familial bond could carry.

"We will wait out for another more reliable lead to the necklace. Whoever told you about Locura may not have the best intentions in mind, and you are right. I don't want Isabel losing you to be on my hands. Not to free myself from guilt. Because I cannot lose you the way I lost my family. You and that unfortunate band of idjits I captain are my family. I will not risk them, especially not you, for something you already have. You have Isabel's heart, Killian. She knows you love her. You will not lose her just because you couldn't get the locket back. Her love for you is much, much deeper than that." He pat Killian on the back, finally releasing him from the hug. A knock on the door announced the arrival of dinner and that bottle of rum Harry had ordered. "Now. What say you to a drink?"


	4. Chapter 3: We Can't Both Have Her

_**I would like to thank Suz Singer, mrsdearly, SALIGIA-the seven deadly sins, mcgonagiggles, and zanessaforever207 for favoriting, following, and/or reviewing the last chapter! It happened to be one of my favorites. I have been needing an excuse to explore Killian and Captain Finnegan's relationship. Plus I wanted to also show that Killian was also quick to anger even when he was younger. Anyways, I love you all for reading and giving your input. Even if you don't review, favoriting and following the story lets me know that people are in fact enjoying the story. Sometimes I wonder since now there are people out there who ship canon!Tink and Killian. Don't get me wrong. I love them too. Anyways, thank you again. **_

* * *

_Storybrooke - Present_

_"Everything. He's Peter Pan."_

Killian still couldn't believe it. A day had passed since his initial meeting with Isabel, and he could not wrap his brain around what she told him. His son was the young boy he spent hours plotting the demise of. Then there was the bit of news that really didn't sit right with him. Isabel was Tinkerbell. They survived the years in Neverland along with him, and yet she never once tried to let him know they were there. She allowed him to do awful things to them. The thought caused bile to ride in his throat. He tried to kill both of them on numerous occasions just for annoying him. He didn't want to believe Isabel would ever let him harm the two of them, but she had. Just like she had left. Before her so-called death, he believed Isabel was the last person who would hurt or betray him in any way. As it turned out, she ended up being the one that hurt him the most.

He supposed she was punishing him for leaving her in the middle of her pregnancy. Killian was supposed to be giving up piracy, but Harry asked that he go along for one more trip out; a last hoorah for Killian before he settled down. The trip also looked very promising for finding her locket. He had no choice but to go. There was no way he was going to let one of his shipmates get all the glory of actually locating and obtaining the locket. No, it was Killian's quest and he was going to see it through. Still, leaving Isabel obviously wasn't the right move. He believed her when she said that her mother talked her into going. Something about the whole thing actually seemed truthful. Something told him that she really thought she had no other choice but to leave without him. At the same time, Killian knew how Isabel operated. Not entirely vindictive, Isabel did have a mean streak in her. It struck at the oddest of times; leaving behind the sting of her words. She couldn't verbally lash out. He wasn't there to hear it so she left. Of course she would pretend that the money promised from his share of the treasure would help them out greatly and she wanted him to feel the salty air on his face one last time before he became a slave to the tiny person growing inside her. Of course she would do that. For the entire month of his absence, she probably let her anger stew and fester. Her mother showing up out of nowhere, alive and with the gift of great magic, provided Isabel with the perfect punishment.

But something told him it wasn't just that. Isabel stood firm in her belief that she did it to save him. Her definition of "safe" was a little askew if she thought his progression from the man she married to the feared Captain Jones to the ruthless Captain Hook was saving his life. Maybe she did save him from some sort of disastrous fate, but her actions also led him down a destructive path. In just a few hours of discovering their home in fiery ruin, he put his thievery skills to use. He stole a sword from her father's shop, one that could have gotten William a lot of money. Then he betrayed the man who took him in and raised him up. He stole the Jolly Roger, leaving Harry shipless. And worse, he took Harry's crew with him. Before the night was over, he went from pirate thief to a murderer. Two men tried to overtake him, start a mutiny because they refused to serve under a lowly cabin boy; ignoring the fact that Harry had promoted him to first mate a year before. Those two men were at the bottom of the ocean by morning. If Isabel thought that was a better fate for him than seeing his son born and living a happy, somewhat normal life with them, then she needed to sort her brain out.

Then there was Milah. He wasn't sure if Isabel knew about her or not. Killian guessed that she did considering three centuries passed for them in Neverland. He wondered what all she saw in Neverland. He didn't care if she saw her husband or the man trying to pin her to the wall. What he wanted to know was if maybe seeing he had moved on was punishment enough for her. Oh he was sure his presence alone was pure torture for her. Having to keep up the pretense that she knew nothing of him or his crew. Good, he thought. At least the bitch squirmed. If he had his way, she would be squirming for quite some time. He liked the idea of Isabel being jealous of Milah a little too much. Killian used to enjoy when she would get jealous because she would do everything in her power to remind him just who he belonged to. Property. He was her property, and for the longest time, he believed she was his. Not in the commodity sense. They had been married after all. Neither one of them had been with anybody before. He once hoped he would be able to say that they hadn't been with anybody since. Many believed a portion of his time grieving Isabel was trying on different women to see who could make the pain stop. Nobody knew he'd get piss drunk and pay the women to pretend he'd given it to him good. It wasn't until Milah that sex and love became viable options again. It took him two years of pretending and killing those he thought were responsible for Isabel's death. Meeting Milah was a happy accident.

The first time he saw her, it was just a glimpse. She passed by the tavern. For a second, he thought she was Isabel. The dark hair. The intoxicating blue eyes. He was just drunk enough to go to the ship and dream of his dead wife. Returning to the same tavern the next night, he laughed loudly with his crew. Across the room, he saw her standing with her back to him. He could see just enough that she was holding a stein of beer, drowning her sorrows. His men all watched their captain raise himself from his seat and saunter over to the woman with a swagger they hadn't seen him possess in a long time. They also watched him hesitate as he realized she was too tall to be his Isabel, but maybe for the rest of his time in the village she would do. Their love started that night. Three more nights would be spent swapping stories; his more interesting than hers. He didn't care that she was married. She was unhappy and unloved. For four nights, he truly felt as if everything was going to turn out okay for him. His vengeance was near completion. Then he wasn't sure what he was going to do after that. "Why, you're going to go on an adventure!" Her words echoed in his mind. He did go on an adventure, and he took her with him.

The Jolly Roger creaked and groaned as it bobbed slightly in the ocean. It knocked against the dock, and he winced. Unfortunately, Cora's cloaking spell did little for the noises it made. People couldn't see it. They heard it, though. Killian had watched several people stop as they walked by and looked around; eyes narrowed and swearing they heard something. One older lady even stared right at him. Then she walked off, shaking her head. Probably thought she'd gone mad. While sitting there, he watched Isabel from afar. Peter was with her, and a tiny bit of guilt and remorse sparked in him. That bump he adored, sang to every chance he got, kissed good morning and goodnight took the form of an eight year old boy. His boy. His incredibly-hard-for-him-to-admit- beautiful son. The two of them walked hand in hand. A smile on Peter's face. A worried countenance about Isabel. Peter didn't seem to notice. He guessed they were probably doing just like everyone else was doing in town; getting ready to celebrate the return of the Swan girl and her irritating mother. He only knew that's what the town was buzzing about because Cora mentioned it earlier, and as soon as she mentioned it, he wondered if he would see Isabel fluttering about town like everyone else. From what he saw, she certainly wasn't as ecstatic as everyone else.

"Captain," Cora interrupted his thoughts. "It's time."

Nodding, Killian pushed himself off the mast of the ship. "Where to now?"

"We're going to observe the party," she smirked.

"Observe? I highly doubt Snow White and her daughter are going to want us there. I can only imagine how receptive Regina would be if we just waltzed in there," Killian scoffed.

"Oh no, my dear. We're not attending," she told him.

"Then what are we doing?" he asked.

"We are going to do exactly what we did in our land. We're going to listen in." She draped her cape about her shoulders, looking up at Killian. "Now. Remember what I told you about teleporting."

He nodded, rolling his eyes. "Breathe and don't think. So on and so forth."

Cora huffed, annoyed with him. He was like a petulant child, and Killian knew that. He figured the more he annoyed her, the quicker she would be out of his way. Sure he would be as compliant as he could but only as long as she was helping him. Of course, she focused solely on ruining her daughter's life. He guessed he would rather it be that way. She was too perceptive at times. When she was distracted, she didn't pick up on things quite as much. He didn't need her poking around in his personal life. With Isabel alive, he finally understood what she meant by seeing unexpected faces in Storybrooke. He never quite got it until Isabel was standing in front of him. Half of him wanted her to have meant Milah. The other half wanted her to have meant his crew. His hook hoped she meant Peter. Not his son Peter. The little shit that tormented him Peter, but he now knew there was no difference. Killian never expected Isabel, and why he expected Milah was a little beyond him as well. When he allowed himself to really ruminate over it, he guessed he did sort of know Isabel might still be alive. He had watched Milah pass. He held her in his arms as she uttered her last words and faded. He saw what was left of her heart spill from the Dark One's fingers onto the deck of the ship. He never saw nor felt Isabel's death. Then his mind shifted to all those times in Neverland that her much smaller alter ego felt familiar to him. He should have known.

Purple smoke filled Killian's lungs, and he struggled to breathe. It just about strangled him until they were on a rooftop across from a place called Granny's Diner. It was a quaint little building with a little garden out front. It was so cute it almost made Killian vomit. He kept his disdain to himself. Lights were strung up, illuminating the place. He could just barely make out the shapes of people on in the inside. Reaching into his coat, he pulled his telescope out, but Cora stopped with and shook her head. She put a hand on his arm. His vision improve. By improved, it meant he could get a clear view of the goings on in the building. Obviously, Cora would be keeping an eye out for her daughter. Killian, on the other hand, found himself trying to locate the cause of all his inner anguish at the moment. Sitting at a table tucked away in the corner, he found Isabel and Peter sitting there. They were eating some strange food. As he watched, he noticed his hearing also heightened. He could hear the two of them talking.

"How much longer do we have to stay here?" Peter whispered.

"Just long enough to welcome Mary Margaret and Emma back," Isabel told him.

Peter scrunched his nose. "But we've been here an hour. Couldn't we have welcomed at least Emma back earlier when we ran into her at the market?"

"We did, but this is kind of like an…official thing. Everyone is here," Isabel shrugged.

"Grandpa isn't," he muttered.

Killian perked up at that. So William somehow managed to survive too? Anger started to boil inside him, but he kept it buried the best he could. Cora was making contact with him. There was no telling what she could pick up on. Looking over at her, she had a calm look on her face. No smirk or frown. Just a stolid expression. Purely focused on Regina. He could have been turning cartwheels in a fire, and she wouldn't have noticed. Turning back to Isabel and Peter, he noticed they were joined by a third party. Isabel's back was to Killian, and whoever sat with them was next to Isabel with their arm around her. They were familiar with one another, familiar enough that Isabel even leaned into him slightly. The man's free hand reached in front of them and lifted one of the mysterious appetizers to his mouth. Isabel slapped him on the shoulder playfully and demanded that he get his own plate of fries. He didn't know what fries were, but if Isabel was physically attacking the stranger for stealing one from her, she must have liked them. Without meaning to, he made a mental note that she liked fries. From the looks of it, Peter did too because he was stuffing more than one into his gob.

"Alright! Alright! I'll go get some for myself," the man chuckled, and Killian knew that voice sounded familiar. As he stood up, Killian was shocked at what he saw. Terence. Jerking his arm away from Cora, he stepped back from the edge of the building so he couldn't even tell Granny's existed. How could she? Everything was a lie he was finding out. Isabel had lied. She didn't leave to save him. She didn't leave with good intentions. She left so she could run off with Terence and take her father with them. They had to have known he was going to go after those that supposedly harmed her. They knew he would leave and be out of the way so they could go back for William. For fuck's sake, the man knew and he pretended to mourn with Killian. He cried with Killian. All this time, Killian felt as if William was the only person in all the realms to understand what it was like to lose Isabel. He thought William was with him in his sorrow. It was all a joke, a hoax, a prank played on poor Killian. The boy who lost everything. His mother. His father. His true love. Her death was all part of some elaborate plan to get him out of the way. And for what? Isabel felt like she had made a mistake? Killian going after that last treasure, her locket, showed that he would never be who she wanted him to be? So she chose the safer road? He didn't understand. He didn't want to understand. She had told him the night before after her big reveal that if he wanted nothing to do with her and Peter, then she would obey his wishes. He was going to see that she kept to that.

Before Killian could turn to leave, Cora grabbed him by his coat sleeve. "It's time to watch."

He nodded and moved back to where he could see the building. He made sure to focus on the two women walking out of the diner. It had been years since he last saw the queen, and she looked just as stunning as ever. Her hair was shorter. What a pity, though. Her clothes were not as snug fitting as her dresses in the enchanted forest. A smile crossed his face as he remembered admiring Regina's backside as she poured them a drink while they discussed the plan to assassinate Cora. He wiped the smile away quickly and paid attention.

"Archie made a cake," Emma called after Regina. "You don't want to stay for a piece?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Regina responded curtly.

"Okay." Emma nodded and turned to go back into the building.

Regina took a step closer. "Thank you."

"You just said that." If Emma was trying to be courteous or polite to Regina, she certainly had an odd way of showing it. Then again, Killian knew all about her courteousness.

"F-For inviting me," Regina explained.

"Henry wanted it. I'm glad you guys got to spend some time together." Well, it sounded sincere enough Killian supposed.

"Me, too." Regina smiled. "I'd like to see him more. Maybe you'd consider letting him stay over some time. I… I have his room just… Just waiting for him."

Emma stiffened slightly, and her mood changed enough that it could be felt by both Killian and Cora. "Oh… I'm… I'm not sure that's best."

Regina didn't like the answer. Her tone completely changed as she responded to Emma. "Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you've been with him. Talk to David. At least he took care of him while you were away. Like I did, during the ten years you were away the first time."

"Okay. Thanks for coming." Emma turned to leave again. Killian wasn't really quite sure what was going on or what they were talking about. He remembered Emma wanting to get back to her son, Henry. He remembered Cora mentioning Henry having to do with Regina because that was the name of Regina's father. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn there was some modern relationship going on between the two women. At the same time, he could understand why Emma would want to keep her son away from Regina. She was the evil queen after all.

"No, wait. I'm sorry," Regina blurted out. She straightened her posture again to mask the desperation emanating from her. "I… I'm… I'm sorry. Snapping at you – I shouldn't have done that. Will you accept my apology?"

Emma's lips pressed together in a thin line but she nodded. "Okay. You're right. Archie said you were trying to change. And, well, you are."

"Dr. Hopper said I was trying?" Regina asked.

"He said you came to see him," Emma explained quickly. "That you're trying not to use magic, that you're trying to be a better person. You understand, I was hesitant to invite you. I asked him, and he thought it was a good idea."

Regina's jaw clenched. If Killian didn't know any better, he would say Regina felt the sting of betrayal by this Archie character. Her rehabilitation was supposed to be a secret, yet he aired out Regina's dirty laundry to Emma. Regina stood even taller, probably to assert her dominance over the situation. "Thank you. It was. I should be going."

With that, Regina left Emma standing outside the diner with a perplexed look on her face. Killian cleared his throat; unsure of what to make of what he'd just seen. His mind was still reeling from his revelation about Isabel. Now he wanted to figure out just what was going on, and what Cora had planned. All he knew so far was that Cora wanted Regina to need her, to hit rock bottom. Only then would she accept her mother back into her life. That's what Cora believed anyways. If Regina were smart, she'd find a way to get rid of her mother before her mother found a way to get rid of her.

"Well, is she broken?" he asked, though he was sure he knew the answer by the look on Cora's face.

"Not yet," she answered, "but I'll make sure that she is shortly. Go back to the ship. I have an…errand to run."

* * *

The party was nothing but an awkward dud for Isabel. She, Peter, and Terence were about to leave when Ruby stopped them with the mention of cake. Leave it for Ruby to remember that all three of them had a weak spot for cake. It didn't matter the kind. It just needed to be rich, moist, and slathered in frosting. The three of them took seats at the bar while Archie cut the Italian cream cheese cake. Dr. Hopper made the best cakes. Like Isabel, one of his hobbies was baking. During the curse, they would swap recipes back and forth. They both found the same solace in baking. It had to be ordered and precise. One false move and everything would be ruined. For the two of them, it was an escape from their own inner turmoil. They never discussed what that was, but they did mention that baking was a release. Once their plates were empty of all signs of cake, they said their goodbyes to everyone. Isabel hugged Snow, welcoming her back home, but it was somewhat phoned in.

Isabel really was excited that Snow and Emma made it back safely. Their story sounded like pure hell. Dealing with Cora couldn't have been easy. Add in Captain Hook and it truly was a miracle they made it back at all. Of course, it was a miracle that Killian even made it back at all. Emma mentioned how he tried to flirt and charm his way back to Storybrooke. Isabel felt a slight twinge of jealousy when she heard that, but she also thought Emma was the type to see through the bullshit. Luckily, she was. Emma was happy to be away from Killian. Little did she know that not even half a mile from the diner's store front was the Jolly Roger housing Cora and Killian. Isabel knew that it was probably her duty to inform everyone that they were in town, and she would once all the hubbub of Snow and Emma's return settled. She was not about to blurt out in the middle of the party that everyone was still in danger. Since the curse lifted, it seemed the town needed just one good night where nothing bad happened, where no one fretted over what disaster was going to arise next. So she went home without saying a word but not without glancing in the direction of the ship. Peter was too busy yammering on to Terence about something to hear it, but Isabel could. The knocking of wood against the dock. The seagulls trying to nest on a ship they could see so they squawked whenever they missed their targets. The ship was there, and she could almost feel Killian watching. Taking Peter gently by the shoulder, she ushered him in the direction of their house quickly.

Having promised herself no more hiding secrets from those she held most dear, she knew she needed to talk to Terence and Peter. Before leaving Granny's, she texted her father to meet them at the house. When they got there, he was sitting on the front porch with a worried look on his face. Isabel forgot she had made it sound urgent so he'd get there quicker, but she guessed the matter at hand was somewhat urgent. Everyone shuffled inside. It took everyone only a few seconds to get settled. All three men looked up at Isabel expectantly, and she found it hard to say anything really. How did she even begin? It was one thing to break the news to Peter that his father was Captain Hook. Now she had to somehow explain to him that Killian was alive but wanted nothing to do with them at the present. It didn't seem fair. Peter was just getting used to the idea of Killian being half way decent, but he was also getting used to having Terence around again as well.

"Well," she began and took a deep breath. "I have something I need to tell you guys. I'm not sure how you're going to take it, but I need to tell you." Another deep breath filled her lungs, and she let it out slowly. "Killian Jones…Captain Hook…is in Storybrooke. He arrived last night."

Silence. Not even crickets dared to chirp in that moment. William, Terence, and Peter all stared at her, mouths agape. Immediately, she regretted saying anything. She wasn't sure if they were in shock or what. All she knew was they weren't saying anything. It was the worse silence she had ever experienced. She wondered if they were thinking she conjured him into being. That she plucked him right out of the enchanted forest and planted him in Storybrooke. That was absurd, though. They knew Isabel wouldn't do that. William was the first to break the silence. He cleared his throat and shifted on the couch. Looking up at his daughter, he tried to read her.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

"I-I haven't really thought about it," she answered.

"How do you know it's him?" Terence asked. "Did you just see his ship and assume it was him?"

"I went to go see him." She looked down, almost ashamed that she had to admit she put herself in danger. It was something all three of them strictly forbade.

"You went to…you went to see him." Terence's eyebrows furrowed. "Did he see you?"

"Yes." Now she felt as if she were being interrogated. Going to double check was not a crime. Then again, Terence probably saw it as such. "He knows pretty much everything. It wasn't exactly the prettiest of reunions." She saw Terence wanted to butt in so she lifted her hand to stop him. "I realize it could have gotten way uglier. It didn't."

"What happened exactly?" William asked.

Isabel started telling them everything. She left the kiss out only because she wanted to tell Terence that when Peter and her father weren't around. They didn't need to know that she kissed Killian. Peter already seemed conflicted by the news of his father's arrival in Storybrooke. Isabel could only imagine how confused he would be if he knew Isabel had kissed Killian, confirmed once again that he was her true love, but wasn't doing anything to try and repair their family. How could she? Killian told her to leave him alone, and that included Peter as well. Peter did not need to know that his father didn't want him. He wouldn't be able to handle it. After she reassured him that Killian wanted him at some point, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that wasn't the case just yet. Finishing her story, she stood there and felt as if she were doing it all over again; lying to protect someone and knowing that the truth was going to make its way out eventually. She didn't like it, but she needed to wait until Peter would be accepting of Killian's terms even though she knew the longer she waited meant the bigger the lie would seem. That's why she wasn't going to wait to tell Terence about the kiss. She didn't want to put it out there in front of Peter and her father. Her father probably wouldn't approve. Peter might get his hopes up. She looked up at the three of them, expecting a million questions to start flying at her. They never came. William stood up, walked over to her, and hugged his daughter tightly. Isabel felt like she could cry at any moment. Telling them about Killian made it all too real for her. She'd spent the entire day trying to figure out how to break it to them. Now that she had, the weight on her shoulders got heavier. A lot rode on Killian's presence. He wasn't just some abstract idea for herself or for Peter. He was real again. She had felt his lips against hers, wrapped her arms around him.

Pulling away from her father, she looked over at Peter. If she could just read his mind, she would know everything he was feeling in that moment. She didn't want to read his mind, though. She wanted to hear it from him. Peter was never shy about speaking his mind before. He probably wasn't going to be if she asked. So she walked over to him, kneeling so she could look him in the eyes. His big blue eyes widened at how close she suddenly was, but he relaxed once she took his hand in hers.

"What's on your mind, Pan?" she asked.

"What do we do?" he asked.

Her eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"

"What do we do now that he's here? Do we try to be a family?" he asked as he looked away from her.

She looked up at Terence and found he was wondering much the same thing. "We…we take it one step at a time." Looking back at Peter, she put her hand on his cheek. "We're going to play it by ear. If he wants to talk about being a family again, we'll talk. Right now. We continue as we always have been. Terence isn't going anywhere if that's what you're worried about."

"He didn't want to see me, did he?" Peter asked.

"To be honest, he didn't want to see me either. You don't owe him anything, but I certainly do so he sort of gets to call the shots here." She sat on the couch between Terence and Peter.

"I think three hundred years of him trying to put a hook in you makes you even," Terence mumbled.

"While I would be inclined to agree with that if it were anyone else…" Isabel began.

"She's right," William spoke up. "You weren't there when he found the house, Terence. You don't know half of what he went through. You were already taking Isabel away. You weren't always there in Neverland either. He had no idea who she was or who Peter was. He was angry, and anger will make you do irrational things."

"That shouldn't matter," Terence argued.

Isabel sighed. Of course Terence was going to find a problem with her decision. Sure he was malleable to most things and went along with just about anything when it came to her parenting. He never really liked Killian. Their duel alone was proof of that. He wanted her to himself. He wanted Killian out of the picture. He just didn't take into consideration that Killian was bound to be better at using a sword than he was. Terence loved Isabel. He'd proven that to her as well. When he took her to the Vale of the Fairies, she had been upset because he child would grow up fatherless. Terence stepped up and said he would help her as much as he could. Even in Neverland he would stop by to make sure everything was okay. He was there for her when Killian arrived in Neverland with no plans of leaving until he learned how to kill Rumplestiltskin. Terence was a good person, and he let his love for Isabel decide how he would handle things.

"It's late," William said. "Peter has school in the morning. We all have work. Let's just get some rest, okay?"

"Right," Isabel nodded, thankful William stopped the fight before it truly began.

Without a word, Peter hopped off the couch. He grabbed William's hand, mumbling something about he could tuck him in. That left Isabel and Terence to sit there for a second. She opened her mouth to say something, but Terence beat her to it. "I should probably go then."

"You don't have to leave," she told him.

"No. I should. I have to be awake before you do. It's best that I spend some time at my apartment anyways," he smiled softly. He stood up and Isabel followed. "You know, I'm not mad that you went to see him. I'm just mad that he's here, and he's bound to mess things up."

"That reminds me…" Isabel trailed off.

"Yes?" He gave her a wary look.

"He didn't believe it was me at first," she went on. "And he kissed me. That's how he knew."

"True love's kiss," Terence whispered.

"Pretty much," she nodded. "Are you…?"

"No. I'm not angry," he responded quickly, though Isabel suspected that wasn't quite the truth. "We both know that is pretty much the only way to be sure, right? I can't be mad at him for trying. I'm relieved it worked in a way."

"You are?" she asked incredulously.

"Just imagine what might have happened if it hadn't. Peter wouldn't have a mother anymore," he shrugged.

"I see your point," she nodded.

He took her hands in his. "I see it this way. Right now, I'm getting more time with you. He could have just as easily said fuck it and taken you from me. He didn't. I'm going to enjoy whatever time I have left with you. If he never comes around, I'll be honest. I'll be ecstatic because maybe it means I won't lose you. However, I'm sure things will work out for you. All I ask is that you don't just pretend nothing ever happened between us. You and Peter are the most important things to me in life. I don't want to lose you completely."

"That will never happen," she smiled.

"Get some rest, Is. Tomorrow is a new day, and you need to focus on something else." He pressed his lips to hers softly. "Goodnight, love."

She whispered a goodnight to him before walking him to the door. It was a little strange that he wasn't insisting on staying for protection. Then again, if he had a really early morning, he needed to get his rest. He didn't need to stay awake worrying Killian might attack them. Probably figured he wouldn't just as Isabel did. She was staying away so Killian wasn't being provoked to lash out. Locking the door behind Terence, she made sure all the other doors were locked before turning the lights out and heading up to her room. She did need her rest, and she did need to focus on something else. Perhaps the next day would be an activity day with her students. Maybe it would be a movie day. She wasn't sure, and as she fell asleep, she thought about maybe grabbing cupcakes from the bakery and having the kids decorate them during snack time.


	5. Chapter 4: The Conscience Returns

**_Hello, my lovelies! I am so so so so so sorry that it took me so long to update this chapter. I've been super busy with the holidays and whatnot. AND I recently started a new job, which has kept me incredibly busy. School starts up again on Monday for me, but I am only taking one class this semester. Hopefully I will have plenty of writing time. Anyways, I want to thank the following people for reviewing/favoriting/following the story: mrusserey, Nube2013, Southern-Belle18, MissAuburn2016, piercethedead, DarylDixonLover91, StuckOnTheShipOfDreams, and SlyLittleLuna1234. All of you are awesome, as are the people who have been reading. I appreciate it tremendously, but you aren't here to read me gushing about my awesome readers. You're here for the story. So, without further adieu..._**

* * *

_Storybrooke - Present_

The white seagull's head bobbed as it walked along the side of the ship. Killian watched it squawk, giving away the location of the cloaked ship. It was late at night, and all the good citizens of Storybrooke were tucked away in their homes. The few bad ones that were out weren't really all that bad to begin with. He had watched a few of his men lurk about, slinking into the local tavern. A place called The Rabbit Hole. Killian was buying his time before informing his crew that he was about. From what he'd gathered about the town, the baddies in the enchanted forest were still considered baddies in Storybrooke. He doubted they needed their captain appearing to them in the middle of the night and asking their assistance taking down the Dark One. He was sure Rumplestiltskin gave them enough punishment during the curse to make up for what role they played in Milah's escape from the wretch. Of course, they probably had no idea why they were being punished. He wondered if the crocodile lost all of his memories in the curse as well or if he remembered everything about his home world. Killian wasn't really sure nor did he really care when he thought about it a bit longer.

Throughout his own curse, Cora insisted that they couldn't leave the Enchanted Forest until after Storybrooke's was lifted. She probably only said that to keep him from trying to leave without her. She made a habit of making him need her to do anything. Even deceiving their camp required her assistance. As Cora, she was couldn't do much, but she was helpful when it came to being Lancelot. He hated that he needed her to even survive. Killian really didn't feel like he needed her now that they were in Storybrooke, but she was making sure he did. Still the question of what if sprang to his mind. What if he didn't need her? What if he had let himself be taken over by Regina's curse? What if he went to Storybrooke? He'd be with Isabel. That he was sure of. Maybe it would have softened the blow the truth packed. And his vengeance? Maybe that would have been taken care of too. Surprisingly enough, Regina hadn't betrayed him when he returned with Cora. She let him go. Perhaps he would have been somewhat rewarded when he arrived in Storybrooke. As he understood it, Regina didn't quite control all of the curse. She broke up happy endings, but vengeance was not a happy ending. Ultimately finding out that your wife faked her death to run off with someone else was not a happy ending. Killian wasn't quite sure what Regina would have and would not have done for him. He doubted it really even mattered because it never came to fruition.

Footsteps tore him from his thoughts. There weren't many people in town who knew how to find the ship. It seemed none of them actually paid much attention to the gaggle of gulls that constantly flocked around his ship's masts. Killian was hidden in the shadows. Sitting up, he saw someone he was looking forward to shaking hook and hand with. Terence. He sauntered onto the ship as if he owned the place. Any one of Killian's men would advise him against it, but since they weren't around, he wasn't let in on the captain's disdain for overconfidence on his ship. Killian watched as Terence glanced about the ship. Then his gaze turned upward towards Killian.

"You can come down now. There's no need in hiding, pirate," Terence told him.

Killian jumped down from his perch, landing on his feet. He stood up straight and looked Terence in the eye. "You have some gall if you're coming here."

"Going to kill me, are you? Slice me in half? I don't think so." Terence's expression read one thing; amusement. He was amused that Killian was already trying to threaten him it seemed. Or maybe he was faking it because he knew there was no way he'd survive a confrontation with Killian.

"If you've come to gloat over taking Isabel from me, feel free to do it elsewhere," Killian grumbled.

"Gloat? You think I...oh please. I found a way to stay in her life after she left. I didn't take her from you, though the thought had occurred to be on more than one occasion." A grin spread on Terence's face. "I do love that you think I took her from you. I remember a man so confident that he would have her always. Now you think she left you for someone who was better equipped to take care of her."

Killian's jaw clenched. It was true he always feared he would lose her to someone like Terence; someone who could be there through everything. After his last little venture out, Killian was going to leave the pirating business behind. He was going to go legit as Captain Finnegan would call it. He knew he needed to if he ever stood a chance of keeping Isabel and their child safe. He needed to quit if he wanted to keep them in general. It just so happened that that last little trip cost him dearly. Terence knew that. "Tell me. How did you manage to stay in her life all these years? Were you in Neverland too?"

"Yes and no. Like Isabel and essentially Peter, I too am a fairy. Unlike her, I always knew." Terence leaned against the side of the ship. His comfortableness made Killian cringe. "I went to Neverland with Isabel because it's always been my duty to look after her. When Celeste left her husband and young daughter behind, she sent a ward to make sure Isabel managed to stay out of trouble. She sent me. Leaving with Isabel was simply part of my job. It was the same when she left the Vale of the Fairies to go to Neverland. I had to go. I managed to stay with her through chance. Fate saw the two of us together here. Of course, I am assuming that you know we're together in this world."

"Yes. I saw that," Killian answered darkly. He didn't want to give away that the thought of Terence even touching Isabel made him want to gut the little fish.

"Easy, captain, your thoughts betray you," Terence muttered.

Something felt dirty about realizing Terence could read his mind. It was a violation of privacy. He didn't like it one bit. His lips pressed together, and he struggled to not say anything to the worm in front of him. That's all Terence had ever been it seemed. A worm. Killian didn't even care if Terence heard what he was thinking. It was the principle of the thing. Of course, Killian couldn't say he wouldn't use it against his enemies if he could read minds. "So you raised my son with her?"

"Only a little," Terence shrugged. "When you showed up in Neverland, she didn't want me there anymore. She told me to return home, to only check in every once in a while. For eight years of Peter's life I was a father figure for him. Then the island and Isabel both made sure he forgot the first eight years of his life almost completely."

"She didn't want you there." Pride filled Killian. He wasn't sure why. Isabel hadn't wanted Terence around half as much as he wanted her to. Sure she didn't want Killian around either, but if she didn't want Terence around, it meant that she really hadn't run off with him.

Terence shook his head. "No. She didn't want me there."

"So if you aren't here to gloat. Why are you here?" Killian asked.

"Stay away from her." Something dark flashed in Terence's eyes. Malice. Killian knew it all too well.

The pirate chuckled. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you still love Isabel. You also love your child. They're both happy with me." Terence took a step towards Killian. "For years, I did help raise Peter. I've kept him safe from the world's horrors. I've looked after both him and Isabel. You've done nothing but cause them pain. All you will ever do is bring them grief and misery. You want revenge. Haven't you heard the old saying? If it's vengeance you seek, dig two graves. One for those that hurt you and one for yourself."

"I think you'll find that won't be true for me," Killian countered.

Terence threw his head back in laughter, clutching his stomach. "And you think they'll accept you then? A murderer like you? Oh, Hook. You are hilarious!" It took a second for Terence to calm down. Once he had, Terence flashed another sinister look at Killian. "They won't accept you. Might as well quit while you're ahead. Get your vengeance and leave it at that. Don't let them get used to your presence when it's only a matter of time before you die."

Killian had heard quite enough. Raising his hook, he lunged at Terence only to be held back by an invisible force. It snaked around his limbs, keeping him in place. Another amused looked crossed Terence's face. Killian struggled against the phantom binds, but it was to no avail. Terence's magic was too strong. "Face me like a man!" Killian growled. "Fight me fair."

"This is fair, Captain. Just because I use magic to hold you off does not make me a coward. I'm fighting smart. Wasn't that something you thought about all those years ago while I was pretending to not know how to handle a sword? My sloppiness would get me killed if you fought me fully? I fought you dumbly, and you let me go because I had heart. Oh yes, Captain. I read you back then as well. I'm going to give you a little incentive to stay away from Isabel. You can have your life. I won't kill you if you simply forget that she's here." He waved his hand in front of Killian, releasing him. "You see, I really am not that adolescent boy you showed mercy to. I could have annihilated you on the spot that day. I could have taken her from you then. I didn't because I knew what you two had really was true love. I could not take her from you. It would have broken her heart, and she would have died because of it."

"That's not true." It wasn't true. Killian won that day because Terence couldn't fight him. He was better suited for Isabel, and it wasn't his sword that proved it. He left Terence leave with only his pride to heal. Nothing more. Killian wanted to take another swing at Terence, but he knew Terence would be able to stop him again. His eyes glanced down towards a rat running along the edge of the ship. Killian watched as it ran every which way to get off the ship, not finding a hole to escape through. A flash of light lit up the night and the ship. It was blinding, but once the night returned to normal, all Killian saw was a bloodstain on the floor of his ship. He looked up to have his gaze met by a much harsher one from Terence.

"Go near Isabel or Peter or even William, and that will be all that's left of you."

He kept telling himself that he wasn't shaken by anything Terence told him. He couldn't allow Terence to affect him in any way. Killian had work to do, but if he were being completely honest with himself, he wanted to find Isabel and kiss her just for the hell of it; just to spite Terence. He wanted to snatch his son up in a hug and never let him go; just to spite Terence. Of course, maybe there was some part of him that wanted to because they were his family. Family. That's all he'd ever wanted. He had one. Despite what happened in the past, he still had one. They were alive and breathing. They were so close, and some fairy boy wanted to keep them away from him. Perhaps he would play by Terence's rules, but he wasn't going to play for long. Not when his heart was already working on him. Just the thought of kissing Isabel again caused his heart to reawaken with something he hadn't felt in a very long time. It wasn't vengeance. That feeling was still there, but he was starting to feel love again. There was only one person who inspired that in him. Terence was not going to get in the way of that.

Killian decided to go for a walk. He wanted to get his own feel of the town. It was one thing to gallivant with Cora, but she believed in using her magic to get around for the most part. He needed to do groundwork. He needed to learn the streets. If he was going to get around unnoticed by Rumplestiltskin and anyone else that might be looking for him, he needed to do it while he had the chance. After all, it was only a matter of time before Cora decided she needed him for her own mission. Forget about why he was in Storybrooke. To Cora, that didn't matter. He might could follow Terence without him noticing, though he doubted Terence would lead him back to where Isabel lived. Chewing on his bottom lip, Killian wondered if he would be able to find her on a hunch. She had been led to him after all. Maybe his heart would lead him to her. It was worth a shot really. Killian closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on her. Then he felt it. There was a tug in his chest. It pulled him in the opposite direction of where Terence went. He could feel the pitter patter of his heart getting stronger, and the ache he felt from being away from her subsided just a little. He was getting closer to her. Happiness swelled within him. It felt weird to have that particular feeling back. He thought he had buried it along with every other emotion he carried. They were useless. His anger was all he needed to get by in the world. It helped him survive. It made him cunning, callous, and careless. He would allow himself to feel love and happiness for just a little bit. Then it would be back to business.

A few minutes later, he found himself standing in front of a two-story blue house. Flowers lined the pathway to the front door. They were bright pink and orange, garish things really, but they looked like Isabel to him. Beautiful. Vibrant. Deceptively sweet. He knew those flowers well. They were actually poisonous when consumed. He'd used them for several different poisons in his time. They were native to Neverland. If they weren't the clichéd "X" marking the spot, Killian didn't know what they were. He held his breath for a moment. His heart pulled him towards the house, but his legs would not respond. Maybe he didn't want them to. After all, he was still so angry at Isabel for what she had done. His heart would have to continue going without her as long as he remained more unforgiving than forgiving. That would take some time, and he was going to take as long as he wanted.

Staring up at the house, he saw a light on. The curtains were parted slightly, and he saw the familiar outline of Peter. He stayed in the shadows in case Peter happened to glance down. From afar, he could tell all the similarities between the two of them that he ignored from before. He couldn't deny the bit of Isabel that he saw there as well. Peter was the perfect mix of his parents, and it caused Killian's stomach to flip. It was all obvious. Isabel's eyes and her nose. His lips. Definitely his ears. Not that he could really make out Peter's ears from his angle in the shadows. His memory drew up a picture of Peter whizzing about Neverland, perching on the side of the ship to taunt Killian. His mother's spirit and his mischievousness. A tightness in his throat choked him, and he realized just how much of an idiot he had been. The boy was the spitting image of the two of them. Only his child could possess those traits. He ignored them, looked past them. It was likely he simply didn't want to see them. It would not have been the first time he didn't care to see what was in front of him. Killian didn't like all of the epiphanies being in Storybrooke brought on. He always thought he had everything figured out. Now it seemed like every truth he had ever known was a lie. If he were a different sort of man, he'd start questioning everything. Part of him already had, though he would never truly admit it.

Something caught Peter's attention. He turned away from the window, and Killian took that as his cue to disappear. It was only a matter of time before Cora returned to the ship. If he wasn't there, she'd go looking for him. That meant she might find out about Isabel and Peter. Even though he was angry at Isabel, he wasn't going to let Cora use her or his son against him. He would rip her apart for even trying. Upon returning to the docks, he rested himself. Rest was once again hard to come by, and in the few moments of peace he had, Killian was going to relax the best he could. Taking out a file he used to sharpen his hook, he allowed himself to just focus on one thing at the moment. Since arriving in Storybrooke, he had too much going on in his mind at once. Perhaps he did like it better when all he cared about was killing the crocodile. At least then he had a clear path to follow. The sound of heeled shoes clacking on the dock alerted him of Cora's return. So much for peace and rest.

"You're back. So, did you get what you wanted?" he asked.

"Yes," she breathed. "My daughter's lost everything now."

Killian smirked. "Ah. Well, aren't you mum of the year?"

"I did what was needed," she told him. He couldn't really tell if she were defending herself, convincing herself that what she did was right, or simply telling him.

"What about what I need? You promised you'd help me get my revenge on Rumpelstiltskin." He stood up, trying to seem as menacing as he could.

"And I've already started." There was that tone again. She had something up her sleeve that she claimed was helpful but in the end would prove useless. He guessed that's how she wanted it. "Or didn't you notice the little gift I left you in the hold of your ship?"

"A gift? What is it?" he asked, decidedly playing her game.

"Not what. Who," she corrected before turning to lead him onto the ship. She led him down to his quarters where she lifted a grate that led directly to the cargo hold. Inside was a man with red hair bound and gagged. He was obviously terrified of the two of them, and as they both stared down at him, his eyes darted from Cora to Killian. "Who's that?"

Cora took a deep breath before answering Killian. "Someone privy to Storybrooke's deepest secrets, including Rumplestiltskin's. Someone who can help us determine his weaknesses here." Her proud tone turned into a taunting one as she turned her attention to the man in the hold. "Can't you, Dr. Hopper?"

"If that's him, then who did you kill?" he asked.

"How do I know? It's my first day in town," Cora shrugged.

"You disguised the body to look like him. If death wasn't punishment enough… Marvelous work," he mused. He truly was impressed. Not that she managed to find someone who could provide him with whatever information he needed. He was more impressed that Cora finally did something was actually helpful to him as well. She managed to get what she wanted and get what he needed too. Maybe she really was trying to help him. Of course, he was not about to start trusting her implicitly.

"Thank you. Now you'll have all the knowledge you'll need. It may take some work, but this cricket will chirp," she assured him.

"Aye." Killian's eyes went dark as he stared down at the frightened man. "That he will." He started to lower himself into the hold. Looking up at Cora, he nodded. "Leave me to it then?"


	6. Chapter 5: Disturbing Beauty

_**Oh boy! You have no idea how happy I am to be back writing! I start school on Monday, and I guess my brain wanted to get another chapter up almost immediately. I know nobody probably cares, but I will be getting back to writing stuff from the past too. I want to get the whole shooting Belle thing out of the way before going back to the past stuff. I hope that's okay with everyone. **_

_**Oh! Also! There is a part in this chapter that comes directly from Peter Pan so I will say now that I do not own it and I am not affiliated with J.M. Barrie. Just an admirer of his work. **_

_**I would like to thank the following people for doing the whole reviewing/favoriting/following thing: SPEEDIE22, princess26966, 3LittleRedBird3, Skye Raynes, and smilin steph.**_

* * *

_Storybrooke – Present_

Killian sat across from the cricket, eyeing him up and down. He let the sheer anticipation of what he might do to get his information frighten Dr. Hopper. They had been like that for hours; Killian staring at him and Archie trying to find some semblance of courage to not beg when the time came. As Killian began to move in Archie's direction, that courage never came. He panicked, pleading for his life.

A calloused hand held Archie's face, forcing him to look Killian in the eyes. Killian wanted to see if the man was brave enough to lie when faced with direct eye contact. The pirate shushed him. His voice came out entirely too calm, somewhat soothing, as he spoke. "As your patient, the Dark One must've told you all manner of secrets. Where is his dagger?"

"I don't know anything about a dagger." Archie's tone was not one of desperation. What he spoke was the truth, and that worried Killian a little. His eyes searched the doctor's for even an iota of a lie there. He found none.

The two men stared at each other for a beat before Killian backed away. "No, you don't, do you?" He sat down, bringing himself level with Archie. Maybe putting himself on the same plane as his prisoner would help him gain the information he needed. Looking down, Killian felt the urge to explain why he was even looking for the dagger. Something about Archie made him open up, reveal his need for it. "It's his weakness. Now, tell me, does he have any others?" He looked back at Archie, who didn't respond. Where his face showed nothing but a bit of bravery and every ounce of honesty, it suddenly changed and Archie looked away. So the Dark One did have a weakness, and Archie was not going to tell Killian. A sinister smile crossed Killian's face. He stood again, moving closer to Archie. It seemed sitting level with the man wouldn't produce the results he hoped for. "Very well. I've always wanted to dissect a cricket." Bringing his hook up, he pressed it to Archie's forehead. The tip dug in just a tad, not even enough to put a scratch on Archie.

Archie gasped sharply, and his voice came out barely even a whisper. "No! Wait. Wait. Please."

"Ah… That's more like it," he smiled. "Now tell me, Cricket, what is his weakness?"

"There's a shawl that he keeps in his shop. It's special to him. It belonged to his son," Archie began through gritted teeth.

"Is there anything particularly special about this shawl?" Killian asked as he sat back again. The cricket was already spewing whatever information he could think of. All Killian had to do was wave his hook around should Archie prove himself to be more trouble.

Archie shook his head. "I-I don't know. He's only mentioned it once or twice. He lost his son, and he's been trying desperately to get him back."

"Is there anything else then? Anyone else?" he asked, remembering a girl he tried to rescue from Regina's dungeons. She mentioned something about loving Rumplestiltskin. If she got taken by the curse, then she would be in Storybrooke. And that meant they would be reunited finally. He turned his attention back to Archie.

The man before him swallowed thickly. Killian could only guess he knew what would happen if he betrayed all of the crocodile's secrets. Not that it really mattered. Once Killian was done with Rumplestiltskin, he would not be able to seek his own vengeance against the doctor. "Belle."  
Killian sat across from the cricket, eyeing him up and down. He let the sheer anticipation of what he might do to get his information frighten Dr. Hopper. They had been like that for hours; Killian staring at him and Archie trying to find some semblance of courage to not beg when the time came. As Killian began to move in Archie's direction, that courage never came. He panicked, pleading for his life.

A calloused hand held Archie's face, forcing him to look Killian in the eyes. Killian wanted to see if the man was brave enough to lie when faced with direct eye contact. The pirate shushed him. His voice came out entirely too calm, somewhat soothing, as he spoke. "As your patient, the Dark One must've told you all manner of secrets. Where is his dagger?"

"I don't know anything about a dagger." Archie's tone was not one of desperation. What he spoke was the truth, and that worried Killian a little. His eyes searched the doctor's for even an iota of a lie there. He found none.

The two men stared at each other for a beat before Killian backed away. "No, you don't, do you?" He sat down, bringing himself level with Archie. Maybe putting himself on the same plane as his prisoner would help him gain the information he needed. Looking down, Killian felt the urge to explain why he was even looking for the dagger. Something about Archie made him open up, reveal his need for it. "It's his weakness. Now, tell me, does he have any others?" He looked back at Archie, who didn't respond. Where his face showed nothing but a bit of bravery and every ounce of honesty, it suddenly changed and Archie looked away. So the Dark One did have a weakness, and Archie was not going to tell Killian. A sinister smile crossed Killian's face. He stood again, moving closer to Archie. It seemed sitting level with the man wouldn't produce the results he hoped for. "Very well. I've always wanted to dissect a cricket." Bringing his hook up, he pressed it to Archie's forehead. The tip dug in just a tad, not even enough to put a scratch on Archie.

Archie gasped sharply, and his voice came out barely even a whisper. "No! Wait. Wait. Please."

"Ah… That's more like it," he smiled. "Now tell me, Cricket, what is his weakness?"

"There's a shawl that he keeps in his shop. It's special to him. It belonged to his son," Archie began through gritted teeth.

"Is there anything particularly special about this shawl?" Killian asked as he sat back again. The cricket was already spewing whatever information he could think of. All Killian had to do was wave his hook around should Archie prove himself to be more trouble.

Archie shook his head. "I-I don't know. He's only mentioned it once or twice. He lost his son, and he's been trying desperately to get him back."

"Is there anything else then? Anyone else?" he asked, remembering a girl he tried to rescue from Regina's dungeons. She mentioned something about loving Rumplestiltskin. If she got taken by the curse, then she would be in Storybrooke. And that meant they would be reunited finally. He turned his attention back to Archie.

The man before him swallowed thickly. Killian could only guess he knew what would happen if he betrayed all of the crocodile's secrets. Not that it really mattered. Once Killian was done with Rumplestiltskin, he would not be able to seek his own vengeance against the doctor. "Belle."

* * *

His plan was set. Disturb, not kidnap or kill, Belle to distract the Dark One. Get him out of the shop so that Smee could ransack it and find the shawl. It was a perfectly good plan to Killian. It seemed foolproof, and with Smee's help, he would not have to worry about anything. Smee usually was good about leaving no trace of himself behind. If he were being honest, Smee reminded Killian a bit of his younger self. Sure Smee was a little rounder and dimwitted. That didn't really matter. When it came down to getting the job done, there was only one person the captain could really count on. Not to mention, Smee was loyal to a fault. When Killian made his first connection with his first mate, it was as if no time had passed. Smee offered his services almost immediately. Killian hadn't even gotten the words out before Smee practically prostrated himself at his captain's feet. Smee told Killian all he needed to know about where to trap Belle. She was the librarian in town. The library was currently closed for renovations. After opening it for a few days to see how it would do, she closed it for a few days to update the place. Apparently, it needed a better cleaning and a better layout. Some of Smee's information was of no interest to Killian, but what he gleaned from it was there was very little chance of anyone walking in on him hiding out there.

He had watched Belle leave the library in a rush. He waited until he was sure she would not come back, giving her a full ten minutes before making his move. Entering the library, Killian was shocked to find it empty. Then again, the place seemed to be unorganized. He remembered seeing a sign hanging above the front entrance. Something about a grand reopening. Of course, he found another way into the building altogether. With people walking about the town, there was no way he would have been able to enter through the front. People, no matter where they lived or what time they lived, never changed. They were nosy, busy bodied gossipers. If they saw a man dressed in almost full leather, news of it would have traveled quickly. He needed a certain kind of stealth to set the plan in motion. The last thing he needed was to be interrupted my Rumplestiltskin, or worse Isabel. He got the feeling that his wife was still just as good natured as she had always been. Even with the faking of her death, Isabel was not going to see an innocent get hurt. Hell, she spent three hundred years making sure Killian didn't murder his own son. She helped protect the other inhabitants of Neverland too. He was sure when it came to it, Isabel would probably try to talk him out of his vengeance. He didn't need or want that.

The library was dark enough that he didn't need to locate any shadows of the shelves. He simply just needed to lie in wait. Cora mentioned once that they were mere stories in Regina's world. How she knew that was beyond him, but he never questioned it. As he waited, he searched the endless stacks of books to see if he could find anything that might feature him. In the children's section, he found it. A dark green book with Peter Pan written in bright gold lettering stared at him from the top of a stack. He opened the book and flipped through the pages. There was some boring bit about a girl he vaguely recalled named Wendy and her brat brothers. The name Tinkerbell kept jumping out at him at times, which he ignored the best he could. Finally, he came to a part that described him:

_"In person he was cadaverous and blackavised, and his hair was dressed in long curls, which at a little distance looked like black candles, and gave a singularly threatening expression to his handsome countenance. His eyes were of the blue of the forget-me-not, and of a profound melancholy, save when he was plunging his hook into you, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly."_

His eyebrows raised in amusement. The hair seemed a bit silly. Those more feminine pirates with long hair never lasted long. At least not those that wore their hair loosely about their shoulders. Killian wasn't sure if it was coincidence or a hard fact about being a pirate. Not that it really mattered. In Neverland, time stopped everything. His fingernails never got long, nor did his hair. He never had to worry about that. At least this Barrie man who supposedly authored the book got his eyes right.

_"He was never more sinister than when he was most polite, which is probably the truest test of breeding; and the elegance of his diction, even when he was swearing, no less than the distinction of his demeanour, showed him on of a different case from his crew. A man of indomitable courage, it was said of him that the only thing he shied at was the sight of his own blood, which was thick and of an unusual colour." _

Killian chuckled at the thought of him being of the highest breeding. Maybe in some alternate world like Storybrooke that might have been true. It wasn't, though. He wondered if maybe Isabel had anything to do with what was written. Part of what lay before him seemed like something she would have put there in case he ever did read it, but he wasn't sure that was the case. He didn't really want to think about it. He took one last glimpse at the page before closing the book.

_"But undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw."_

He slipped the book into his coat as he heard the front door open. Holding his breath, he waited to see if Belle had finally returned or if he hadn't been careful enough. Casually, he picked up another book and leaned against one of the shelves. It seemed silly to pose himself in such a manner, but he wanted to give Belle the false sense that he was only there to charm her. Nothing more. In a way, that was true. He really wasn't there to kidnap her or harm her in any way. He wanted to spook her. Smee told him of little devices that people used called phones to communicate with one another. If Killian played it right, Belle would call the Dark One, and he would come running to rescue his beloved. The sound of shoes knocking on the floor came closer to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he confirmed that she was the woman in Regina's dungeon. He stepped into a bit of sunlight and waited for her to acknowledge his presence, and once she had, he turned his attention to her slowly.

Closing the book, he set it on the shelf; not bothering to return it to the right place. "Oh. I'm not here for the books, love."

Belle eyed him cautiously before recognition covered her face. "You. You're the one who broke into my cell at the Queen's palace." She smiled slightly at the realization. He smiled back at her, and a scowl replaced her own. She ran into the front of the library with Killian following her. He headed her off, a cart between them. They stopped, and a strange sensation filled the air. Fear. She was afraid. "You wanted to kill Rumpelstiltskin."

"Oh, I still do," he breathed, pointing at her. "But, right now, I'll settle for you."

He made a move for her, but he hadn't planned on her pushing the cart towards him. It knocked him to the floor as she ran to the elevator. Things were going according to plan. Smee said she had some spunk to her, that he should be prepared for her to fight back. He expected her to throw a punch at him. As he lay on the floor, he gave her a second to get the elevator door open. He freed himself of the fallen cart, stood, and jumped over it before running towards the elevator. He could have easily caught her and plunged his hook into her chest. However, that wasn't part of his plan. Instead, he timed it perfectly so the doors would lock her in the elevator and come between the two of them. Killian banged at the doors to spook her. It wasn't long until he heard what sounded like a faint beeping behind the doors. He continued to beat on the doors as he listened to her try to explain what was happening. When she stopped talking, he waited a moment. A few last swings at the door and Killian decided that was enough.

* * *

The air was solemn in Snow's apartment. While not many people actually were at Archie's funeral, it seemed the town had come together there. Isabel sighed heavily as Peter tapped his fingers on her arm. Whenever Peter was bored, he would find ways to annoy Isabel. It was something he'd started as early as the age of three. He'd find little ways to make Isabel give in and entertain him. In Neverland, he did the same thing to his father without realizing it. Turning her attention to her son, he grinned up at her. She knew that grin entirely too well. It usually meant that he was wanting to cause some sort of trouble. Had they not been there to honor Archie, she probably would have let him. However, circumstance simply didn't allow for Peter's antics. Shaking her head, he frowned slightly before shrugging and going back to tapping her arm. Her focus shifted on Leroy as he approached Snow and her daughter, who were whispering to one another in the corner.

"Ladies? The dwarves have been thinking. We have to ask – when do we go back?" he asked.

Emma's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Back? Where?"

"The Enchanted Forest. Our home," he answered.

Emma looked over at her mother, but Snow never turned her attention from Leroy. "You want to go back?"

"We fought really hard to get here," Emma told him.

"But with what Regina did to Archie, Storybrooke ain't as safe as we thought," he countered.

Isabel fought the urge to scoff as Snow and Emma prattled some generic answer about finding Regina. While what they said was true, Regina probably found a way to hide herself completely. There weren't many places for her to hide, but Regina had magic. That made a tremendous difference. Desperation was a good source of power in a pinch. Regina was definitely in said pinch.

"But it's not just her. The curse is broken. There's a whole world full of people beyond the town line that don't know who or what we are. Ever think of what might happen if one of them were to come pay us a visit?" His words brought everyone's attention to the conversation.

"He's right," Ruby added. "What if they see, you know, magic? Like a girl turning into a wolf, for example? Folks weren't exactly understanding back in our world."

"Okay, let's not worry about 'what ifs'. No one is here," Emma tried to reassure everyone.

"Yet. Maybe they come, maybe they don't. But that doesn't change the fact that while we might enjoy things like penicillin, we're a bit homesick." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"He does have a point," Isabel spoke up. Every head in the room turned their attention to her. She stood up. "We can never be sure what's going to happen next. If people from this world find Storybrooke, it may be disastrous or it may not be. That's still something we need to prepare for. People don't change. No matter what realm they are in, magical or not, people don't change. They fear what they don't understand, and people in this world certainly won't understand Ruby turning into a wolf. God forbid Peter get his ability to fly back." She turned to Snow and Emma. "You two made it back here. Yes, it took some powerful magic and a few objects to get you her. What's to say we can't find a way back there? Isn't it worth a shot? We don't belong in this land any more than people from here belong in ours."

Isabel really hadn't expected to speak up on the matter. She was more of the silent type when it came to those sort of things. Not to mention, she was incredibly indifferent when it came to living in the enchanted forest or staying in Storybrooke. Unless something erased every single bit of her past, she doubted much would change for her if they went back. It probably wouldn't change for anyone in the town either. If she remembered correctly, there were many things that the people in town would rather not deal with. They could avoid it the same in the enchanted forest as they did in Storybrooke. The only reason she was speaking up was because she wanted to go back to Neverland with her son. They could live there with the truth of what she had done. At least, she hoped they could. She hoped she could protect him from the island, and its tendency to make people forget things about themselves. Like returning to the enchanted forest, it was worth a try at the very least.

Pressing her lips together, she sighed. "It's just something to think about."

"It certainly is," Blue stepped forward. "However, Isabel, you are forgetting something very important. The fairy dust needs to be mined and processed before we can use it. That process takes a very long time. Unlike you, the other fairies need it to perform magic here."

Isabel's jaw clenched for a brief second. "Sorry, Blue. I don't have much magic here either, but there is always a way to work past all of that."

"Why is this even a discussion right now? A man we all cared for has died, and instead of honoring him, we're debating the likelihood that we'll make it home." Blue smiled entirely too sweetly for Isabel's liking. "This is something we can save for when we are not in mourning,"

Blue left it at that. No one else dared speak after her. Isabel never got why people relied on Blue to tell them what was what. Then again, Isabel knew more about Blue than most of the people in the room. Foremost, Isabel knew Blue was not as powerful as everyone believed she was. Everyone just thought Blue was the powerful fairy after the royal family. The most powerful fairies were the king and queen plus their children. Then there was the rest of their family. Celeste was Queen Clarion's younger sister. Known in the Vale of the Fairies as Princess Luna Rose, Celeste possessed almost as much power as her sister. When she passed, that power went to her daughter. During her stay with the fairies, Isabel struggled to understand exactly what that meant. Everyone told her that she had a great responsibility to uphold in the fairy world. Should anything happen to the king, queen, and their children, Isabel would take over. Isabel never wanted it so she often shirked her responsibilities and focused on raising her son instead. Blue picked up her slack. Isabel never wanted to point the finger directly at Blue, but she was sure Blue had something to do with the fairies casting Peter and Isabel out. The fairies dismissed Isabel and Peter because he would never age. They were perfectly fine when it came to him flying, but his little bit of magic beyond that scared them.

* * *

Killian kept his telescope trained on a window that peered into Rumplestiltskin's shop. Smee was late meeting him, and he began to wonder if Smee got lost or caught. Then he simply chalked Smee's lateness to his shape instead of outside causes. The crocodile and Belle appeared in the window, frantically speaking to one another. As they discovered the shawl was missing, the familiar and heavy footsteps that indicated Smee could be heard crunching along the rooftop.

He waited for Smee to appear by his side before speaking. "You have it, Mr. Smee?"

"What is it, Captain?" he asked as he handed over the shawl.

Collapsing the spyglass, he set it on the chimney beside him. He took the shawl, weighing the garment in his hand. "It's the end of the crocodile's hope. Now he's trapped here." Killian turned to go, but Smee's chubby hand landed on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Before you go, Captain. I must tell you something." He sounded unsure.

"Out with it," Killian nodded.

"Your hand, sir. While I was going through Mr. Gold's shop, I noticed it on the shelf in a jar. I wondered if you wanted me to retrieve it for you once the shop is cleared out again." He shifted uneasily for a second. "I figured you might could find a way to reattach it."

Killian's jaw tightened. His hand. The imp was keeping it in a jar. What use did he have for it other than a prize from his tiny victory over Killian? Of course he would keep trinkets like Killian. The captain glanced back at the shop window, and a murderous rage ran through him. Somewhere inside was his hand, but more importantly, somewhere inside was his wedding ring. He never married Milah. She mentioned it once or twice but never again after he told her about Isabel. Marrying again would have been a disgrace to Isabel's memory. Had he known back then that she was with Terence, he probably would have married Milah. It didn't matter. Killian felt differently at the time, and he never removed the ring from his hand. Not before he met Milah and not after he met her. It came off when his hand did.

"What do I need it for?" He watched Rumplestiltskin destroy his shop further. "I've told you many times that I would rather have my hook. It serves me more than that hand ever did."

"Aye, Captain, but your ring..." Smee trailed off, seemingly cowering in case Killian lashed out.

Instead, he simply shrugged. "What of it? Means nothing to me now. Meant nothing to me when I lost it." He let out a heavy sigh. "Leave it where it is. No use in risking yourself again. Save it for when I really need you."

Smee nodded. "Will that be all then?"

"You left what I gave you for Belle at the library?" he glanced at Smee, knowing the answer. With Smee's nod, he smiled devilishly. "Good. I need to get back to the ship to await her arrival. Then I can finally be rid of the crocodile."

* * *

Whatever Blue wanted everyone to return to in Archie's honor was ruined by the whole conversation about returning home. The doleful atmosphere was broken up with everyone whispering about the scene between Blue and Isabel. It wasn't even a scene really. They were so shocked that Isabel even spoke against the blue fairy that they forgot they were mourning the death of someone. Isabel and Peter excused themselves shortly after simply to escape the gossip. The town was somewhat empty as they walked through its streets, which made it much easier for Isabel to spot Killian trying to duck through the alleyways. Peter spotted him too, taking off after the tail of the Killian's black leather coat. Running after Peter, Isabel desperately tried to stop her. She reached out for him, but he managed to slip past her like he always did. Before she knew it, she and Peter were both standing in front of Killian.

His eyes darted between them; fear evident as they glanced at Peter. He stood up straighter in an attempt to come off as nothing but nonchalant about being faced with the two of them. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry. I tried to stop him," Isabel spoke quickly.

"I'm not," Peter said, giving his father a look of sheer defiance.

"I cannot deal with this right now," Killian told them. Isabel could tell he was struggling to sound annoyed with them. He certainly wasn't happy but he wasn't put off by them either. If she had to guess, he was struggling with how to feel in general.

"Why not?" Peter demanded.

"I am in the middle of something important, Pan."

Isabel cringed. He called his son a name he loathed. Like he didn't see his son standing in front of him. Like he saw his enemy. Looking down at Peter, she could tell his anger faltered and seemed to find its place in her. "And what is so bloody important that you cannot acknowledge your own family?"

"That is none of your business, Isabel," he practically growled at her before brushing past her.

"You aren't living up to your agreement," she blurted out.

Killian turned to back to face her, stepping to where just an inch was between them. "And what agreement was that?"

"That I would let you deal with things as you saw fit, and you would lay low for a while." Her voice sounded weak. She wasn't afraid of him. Not at all. If he was going to do anything to her or Peter, he would have already done it.

"I don't remember agreeing to that," he chuckled darkly as he obviously took note of the way she sounded.

"Doesn't fucking matter," she huffed.

"Language, Is. That's our son standing next to you." He glanced at Peter. "I do hope you don't speak like she does, lad."

"Don't talk to me," Peter spat. His arms crossed over his chest and he turned away from his father.

Hurt briefly crossed Killian's face, but he turned to Isabel. "If you think I am going to forget the reason I came here, you're mistaken, love. No one is about today, and I am sticking to more unsavory means of getting around this town." He frowned as he looked around the unclean alley they were in. "If that was our agreement, then I would say you and your lot have already broken it." He stepped back from Isabel, looking her over. "I'm not going to fight with you right now. Or you, Peter. I have urgent matters to attend to, and you will leave me to them. You owe me that."

She couldn't argue with that. Isabel owed him a lot for what she had done. Nodding, she too stepped back from Killian. She placed a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Come on. We better get home before father beats us there." It was difficult to turn away from Killian, but she forced herself to. Peter ran ahead of her, turning the corner. Against her better judgment, she glanced back at Killian to find him staring at her. "Whatever it is you're doing, please be careful. For Peter."

"I very much doubt he cares whether I live or die," he stated quietly, and he left her standing there. Not for dramatic effect. Because he didn't want her to try and reassure him of that. He knew he wasn't being careful. In fact, he sought danger willingly. Killian wanted a confrontation with Rumplestiltskin. He wanted to wound the man so deeply that it weakened him. It was his recompense for Milah and his hand. He needed danger for his vengeance, and while he believed he may live through it, there was still the chance that he would die. If he knew Peter cared for him in any way, he would give up because it meant he had something to live for. Killian wanted to believe he'd lost all that.


	7. Chapter 6: Glow

_**Holy smokes, Batman! I did not mean for there to be a huge gap between updates. I certainly didn't mean for the following chapter to be so long. I apologize in advance to everyone who is about to read this chapter. It would seem that brevity and I are no longer friends when it comes to chapters. Little fun fact, this chapter is sixteen pages in Word. **_

_**Anyways, I want to thank the following people for reviewing/smashing the favorite or follow button: habblez, Dmjdenise, Castiel Angel Heart, Broadwaylover56, HappyHooker,, and xenocanaan. I love you all very much for doing so! It means the world to me that so many people are liking the story. I must admit that I've always been a little nervous that many of the fans wouldn't like it. Hopefully, I'm doing the show justice. If not, I apologize greatly. Enough of my yammering, though! Onto the story!**_

* * *

_Storybrooke - Present_

Peter slammed the front door, and Isabel tried not to let it get to her. He hadn't said anything since he had ran after his father. It was clear he was angry. Isabel couldn't tell if it was at her, Killian, or the entire situation. Honestly, she was upset with the latter more than anything. Peter's first encounter with his father was not how she wanted it to go. Then again, she didn't know why she expected anything different from either of them. Just because they knew the truth, it didn't mean they weren't going to be at odds. Not instantly, and with Killian pushing them away, some things weren't going to change soon.

She followed him upstairs. He slammed his bedroom door just as she approached it, and she sighed heavily. She gave it a second before opening the door. He sat slumped on his bed. He picked at loose threads on his blanket. During the curse, it was his baby blanket. He'd never given it up. Isabel never made him, never tried. It seemed that it was still his beloved blanket with the curse broken. She sat next to him but didn't say anything. If he wanted to talk, he would. She wasn't going to push him. They sat in silence. He continued to pull at more threads on the worn blanket. Isabel stayed quiet even though her mind raced.

"He looks different," he spoke up.

"Does he?" she asked.

He nodded. "He's not as big and scary as I remember."

"Scary? I don't remember you being scared of him," she teased.

"Tell him I said that, and I'll deny it," he smirked. "He looks like my dad, doesn't he? Like I look like him."

She was a little taken aback. Until that point, he'd never referred to Killian as anything but Hook. She figured that would take more than it had. "He does look like your dad."

"How did you do it?" he asked.

"I pushed it all aside. You were the most important thing to me. I had to force myself to not give in to what my heart wanted," she shrugged, looking over at him. "Although, I needed to save my ass too I guess. Are you...do you want to talk about everything?"

Peter shook his head. "Not yet."

"Can I ask why you ran after him at least?" she asked.

"I wanted him to see me," he answered quietly, looking down at the blanket. "I wanted to see things I would change if he saw me, but he told us to leave him alone."

"He needs time to process too, you know? He just learned the truth. We cannot force ourselves on him. Remember when you wanted me to leave you alone with it for a bit? We have to do the same for him." She grabbed a bit of the blanket and started pulling at some of the threads. "Maybe he'll come around soon."

"He said he was busy. Wonder with what?" he asked.

Isabel shrugged. "I don't know, but it seemed important to him. We should probably leave him to it."

"It's probably something stupid," he laughed.

"Probably, but we can't really judge. I remember a little boy wanting to find a snark," she grinned.

"They probably are good at hiding. That's why I never found one," he grumbled.

She nodded, knowing snarks didn't exist. Not in Neverland or Storybrooke at least. "I think you might be right, Peter. How about you change into your pjs. I'll get in mine, and we'll have a movie night."

He smiled up at her. Standing, he took her hand and ushered her out of his room. She laughed as he shut the door, thankful he wasn't slamming it in her face again. Going into her room, Isabel changed quickly before going into the kitchen. She hoped they had some popcorn. Otherwise, their movie night would be cut short due to boredom. After digging through one of the cupboards, she found a bag stuffed behind the cereal. She popped it into the microwave. Isabel could hear Peter in the living room rifling through the movies. She smiled, closing her eyes and just listening to him. Peter didn't do much quietly. If the house was quiet, Isabel knew she needed to worry. It usually meant he was up to something. It amused him how easily he forgot sometimes that she was Tinkerbell. She knew all of his tricks, every single one, yet he would still try to pull things on her. It was never anything too big. Sometimes she let him get away with it. Other times, she would intervene just to remind him that she knew him much better. She could hear him clumsily sliding the cases across the bookshelf. They would fall off, and he would curse under his breath.

"Mama, the popcorn is burning!" Peter shouted.

Isabel jumped, opening her eyes and dashing to the microwave. She pulled the bag out, and it was smoking slightly. She smiled. "It's perfect!"

Both of them liked when the popcorn was burnt a little. Neither of them really knew why. She grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and poured the bag into it. Taking it into the living room, she found Peter sitting on the couch with the TV already set up for their movie. He smiled up at her, and Isabel was thankful that his mood had changed. More often than not, she was at a loss for what to do about his mood swings. It was easier in Neverland because he never had to worry about anything. If he didn't like something, he could change it. Real world problems were a little different. No matter how many times you wished the ugliness away, you still had to deal with it. She hated that for Peter because that meant he would have to learn lessons he should have learned centuries ago the hard way. It made her happy that he couldn't age. It meant there were things he would never experience. Maybe that made her a horrible mother, but there were things she wished she had never learned. The most obvious was what she really was. If she could only have gone through life believing she were fully human, she wouldn't have had to leave Killian. Peter would have had his father.

* * *

Killian watched Dr. Hopper scurry away from the Jolly Roger, and he chuckled. Belle was playing into the trap he set for Rumplestiltskin just as he suspected she would. It was a little too easy, but that was one thing he remembered about loving someone. It made a person stupidly courageous. It made them feel almost invincible. Nothing could harm them as long as they had love. That was certainly true for a select few, but Killian knew better for the rest. For him, love caused more pain. Love was a killer; mentally, physically, and emotionally. It did more harm than good. Its presence was the best thing imaginable. Its sudden absence was debilitating. Having had it stolen from him twice, Killian refused to let love get the better of him again.

He gave Belle another moment to snoop before he stepped onto the ship. The verdant shawl hung loosely in his hand. It was integral to his revenge. Smee told him that Rumplestiltskin found a way to leave Storybrooke and keep his memories. He also told Killian that the Dark One was searching for Baelfire. If he couldn't kill the imp, then he'd settle for stealing his happy ending. It made things even, though death would be Killian's overall triumph. And should he die in the process? He had nothing to live for anymore. No one would really care. Or perhaps he did have something and someone did care. That remained to be unseen really.

"Looking for this?" he asked, catching Belle searching through his belongings. He held the shawl out to show her that he had it all along.

"That," she pointed to it, "doesn't belong to you."

"It does now," he smirked. His gaze followed Belle's to a shiny metal object on the table. It was shaped much like a gun, thought a more modern construction of one. The little trigger on it told Killian that it was in fact a gun. They stared at it for a second. The she made a move for it, but he beat her. Snatching it up, he carefully turned it in his hand. "Oh...my dear Belle. You should have stayed with your books." He pointed the gun at her. "Real life can get so...messy."

Belle puffed her chest out slightly. "I am not afraid of you, and I am not leaving without that."

"I admire your loyalty, but helping Rumplestiltskin. I'm afraid you're fighting a lost cause." And he truly believed she was. His determination was not easily matched.

"He needs that shawl to find his son!" she argued.

From what Killian recalled, Baelfire didn't care too much for his father. Why on earth Bae would want his father to find him. And what was to say that Bae was even still alive. "What makes you think his son wants to be found? Hmm? I'm doing the boy a favor."

"Haven't you hurt Rumple enough?" she asked.

He held up his hook and found her statement almost laughable. "Oh I've hurt him?"

"You stole his wife," she countered.

Taking a step closer to her, he made sure he got too close for comfort. "Tell me something, love. If a woman comes to you and begs you to take her away, is that theft?" Of course he didn't see it that way. Sure his relationship with Milah hadn't really started out for love with him, but he certainly had not stolen her. She chose to leave. He did not sway her in either direction. It was her choice, but that scarcely mattered. Looking upon Belle, he realized his statement caused a bit of doubt in her.

"Why would she leave him?" she asked.

"Because he was a coward and she loved me." He looked down at the shawl. "I should have burned this the moment I acquired it."

"Why didn't you?" She glanced at the shawl as well.

Killian answered quietly. "Because she made it."

"I'm sorry she died," she said sincerely, "but vengeance? Vengeance isn't going to bring her back."

"Died," he scoffed. "Like it was some sort of accident. Is that what he told you?" Leave it to the little shit to leave out most of what actually happened.

"He...well, he...didn't say," she stammered.

"Of course not. Of course he'd leave out the most important detail of her passing," he nodded.

She fought to get the words out again. "And what would that be?"

"He killed her," he answered; voice lower. He lifted the gun and pointed it to Belle's chest. "He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me."

She shook her head in disbelief. "No…"

"Oh, yes," he assured her, but Belle was more insistent, still refusing to believe him. "Yes. He will do anything – anything – to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who's ever gotten close to him, has either run away, or been killed?" As he said it, Killian walked across the cabin from her. He held the gun up, cocking it. He wasn't planning on shooting her. No, he was going to scare her into running away. "Now, what makes you think you're any different? Tell me something, darling. Why would you want to fight for a man like that?"

"Because I still see good in him. Because I believe he's changed. Because his heart? Is true. And yours? Yours is rotten." She reached up and grabbed hold of the oar hanging from the ceiling.

The next thing Killian knew, there was a sharp pain in his head and he was falling into the hold where he had kept the cricket. Killian huffed in frustration. Belle had a lot more fight in her than he originally expected. He seemed to be underestimating her a lot that day, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't have to put up with her very much longer. The crocodile would be on his way shortly. He got up, making his way to the deck through a secret passage. She was almost off the ship when he jumped in front of her.

"How the hell did you…" she trailed off.

"Oh, I know this ship like the back of my…" he held his hook up and chuckled. "Well, you know. I'd suggest you give that back to me now."

"Or what?"

Footsteps could be heard from behind them. They turned to see Rumplestiltskin approaching the two of them. Killian wanted to laugh at what he saw. "Ah. You look different in this world, crocodile. Like the coward I met so long ago – limp, and all."

"And yet, you still can't kill me," Rumplestiltskin said calmly.

Killian matched his tone, holding his arms out and issuing his challenge. "Let's have it, Dark One. What magic are you going to hide behind today?"

"Oh, no. Not magic." The crocodile attacked, and his bite was issued with his cane. Killian struggled to get up, but the seemingly feeble man was able to keep him down. He dealt blow after relentless blow to the pirate. As he did so, Belle tried to get him to leave; too tenderhearted to watch a man asking for it to begin with get beaten by the man she loved. It was no use. He continued to beat Killian.

She held up the shawl so Rumple could see it. "This is what you came for. This is what's going to get you back to Bae."

"Ah, you're wasting your breath, love. He can't resist. He has to prove that he's not a coward," Killian goaded.

Rumplestiltskin turned to Belle. "You may want to turn away, Belle. This isn't going to be pretty."

And he started in on Killian again. It seemed a blind rage came over the crocodile that made him turn off whatever it was that wanted to be good for Belle. Whatever she thought was good seemingly disappeared, and of course, Killian just continued to make things worse.

"Do it! Do it! Kill me!" Killian laughed, looking over at Belle even though the pain coursing through his body was becoming unbearable. "He has to show you how powerful he is."

"No, Rumple! This… This is what he wants! To destroy every bit of good in you!" Belle pleaded. It seemed to halt the Dark One for a moment.

"Rip my heart out." Killian told him, and they turned their attention to him. "Kill me like you did Milah, and then I'll finally be reunited with her."

Rumplestiltskin dropped his cane and held his hands up. "He has to die, Belle."

He lunged at Killian's throat, and Belle started her begging again. "No! No, he doesn't! There's still good in you. I see it. I've always seen it. Please. Please show me I'm not wrong."

That stopped the crocodile completely. For once, Killian was actually afraid he was going to start again. He didn't want to die really, though he seemed to flirt with the idea a lot. Begging the Dark One to kill him was the only way to provoke him. However, Belle's words stayed Rumplestiltskin's wrath, and he was relieved to see that it had. He leaned in close to Killian. "You take your little ship, and sail until you fall off the edge of the world. I never want to see you again." He walked over to Belle, holding his arm out for her. "Let's go."

Killian watched them leave, pissed that he hadn't done more to defeat the Dark One. He could have sworn he had some big plan drawn out that would ensure his victory, but he realized he may have not been thinking too clearly. He could blame Cora or Isabel's presence in his life. It came down to him, though. He spent centuries preparing for that confrontation, yet he wasn't ready for it. He choked when it came time for him to leap into action. He failed. Killian failed when he kept telling himself that he wouldn't. All he had left was his family he guessed, and he was sure they didn't really want him. Peter's reaction to him earlier in the day pretty much said it all really. Killian really didn't have anything left. Still, he slowly stood. The Dark One's blows lingered, making it difficult for Killian to move too quickly. Once he felt like he could move with enough speed to make it to Isabel's, that's where he headed. She may not want him, but in that moment, he needed her.

* * *

As soon as she opened the door, she instantly regretted doing so. Not because she didn't want to see her husband standing there. She wanted to see him in better condition, but he was bloody and bruised, limping as he entered the house without an invitation. He leaned against the wall next to the door. His eyes were closed, and he held his side with his hand. All she could do was stare up at him. Seeing him banged up like he was made Isabel's heart clench in the worst way. She'd never seen him bloodied and bruised. At the most, she had seen remnants of fights he had been in when they were still teenagers. This was something completely new for her. It scared her. Isabel would never deny that she still loved him very much. Even in Neverland she had to force her feelings for him to the side, but they weren't in Neverland and everything was different.

Taking his hand, she silently led him to the tiny half bathroom downstairs. She pointed to the toilet and told him to sit while she dug around in the medicine cabinet for the first aid kit. She found it and set it on the sink before opening the lid. His eyes were on her the entire time, and she could feel them. She liked the feeling of him staring at her. At the same time, there was one person that kept creeping into her mind. Terence. What would he think if he could hear what she was thinking in that moment? What would he do if he knew she was picturing Killian and herself tangled together in her bedroom upstairs? She tried not to see that image, but she saw it so clearly that it too scared her. Isabel would never do anything to hurt Terence, nothing intentional. Still, her _husband_ was right there. Whether Killian saw himself as such, she saw the man she left all those centuries ago. She saw her husband, and she didn't care if anyone else acknowledged their union. She would until the day she died regardless of everything else.

She wet a washcloth and started washing away the blood from his face. As she did so, she could see small lacerations on his face. One slightly large one sat to the side of his left eye; another situated itself on his lip. She reached up to carefully press beside his eye, and Killian winced, cursing under his breath. Isabel shushed him as she decided nothing was broken there. Turning to the kid, she grabbed a cotton ball and poured a little peroxide on it.

"You aren't going to like this," she told him.

"It hurts like a bitch." They turned to find Peter leaning against the wall across from the bathroom. There was an amused look on his face, but he didn't make any jokes. Instead, he stayed in his place away from Killian's reach.

"He's right. It's going to sting, but it's only for a second," she turned back to Killian. "Now hold still." She pressed the cotton ball to his lip, and Killian started cursing like the clichéd sailor that he was. Peter giggled slightly but hushed when Isabel shot him a little warning glare. She shushed Killian, pulling the cotton ball away. The peroxide continued to bubble slightly as she prepared another one and pressed it to the side of his eye. This time Killian didn't make much of a fuss. What he did do was raise his hand to grip Isabel's hip. His fingers dug into her skin, tightening and loosening while the peroxide worked on cleaning his wound. His touch made Isabel's skin tingle. One of his fingers had slipped underneath the hem of her shirt. The skin-to-skin contact was almost too much to handle, but she didn't move away from him. As she put antiseptic cream over both cuts, his hand stayed firmly on her hip. Through all of it, her heart pounded something fierce in her chest as if it were telling her that was how her life should be. They stared at each other for a minute. Isabel had to break the eye contact because she knew if she didn't she would end up kissing him. "Peter, why don't you go make some tea?"

"But…" the young boy protested. He didn't protest for long because he pushed himself off the wall and stomped loudly to the kitchen.

"He certainly got your loudness," Killian muttered.

"What?" Her head whipped around to find a half smirk on his face. "I have you know that I was always quiet."

"Please. I could hear you moving about the house from miles away. Not to mention that damned tinkling when you flew." His smirk turned into a grin. "You two always thought you were much sneakier than you actually were."

"Managed to sneak up on you and your men quite a bit," she grumbled.

"Only because you would find the most opportune moments to. Always when the natives were attacking or we were in the middle of kidnapping the rest of the boys." He rolled his eyes.

She smacked his shoulder, and he winced a little. Gasping, her hand flew up to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

"Easy, love. I've already been beaten today. Didn't come here for a second round," he told her through gritted teeth.

"What did you come here for?" she asked.

"I…" he paused; eyebrows knitting together. "You know. I am not all that sure I know why. Just knew I needed to."

"Needed to?" She tried to not sound hopeful, but those words caused her heart to beat even faster.

He simply shrugged before standing. Brushing past her, he followed the sound of Peter banging in the kitchen. Isabel did the same. They found Peter sitting on the counter, foot kicking the cabinet below him. The kettle was on the stove. For a moment, Isabel allowed herself to imagine the three of them as a family. It certainly didn't help when Killian told Peter to get off the counter. Peter grumbled and jumped down much to Isabel's surprise. He didn't stay in the kitchen long. His footsteps echoed as he made his way upstairs, and Isabel turned her attention back to Killian. The kettle had started to whine. He moved easily to the stove, removing it from the fire and turning it off.

"I need your help with something," he said quietly.

"You do?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing slightly. He needed her help. At least he needed her. That's what she kept telling herself. Although, she didn't know how much help she would actually be. Not like she could use her magic, and it wasn't like she was going to just jump into danger either.

He nodded. "Aye. I do."

"For?" She walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled a jar of sugar out. Opening the jar, she started putting sugar into her tea.

"Rumplestiltskin," was all he said as he took the sugar from her. "Milk?"

She went over to the refrigerator, handing the milk to him. "I can't help you with that."

"Why not?" he asked. "Don't you have magic? Aren't you supposed to be powerful?"

"I am, but I have to think about our son. Revenge is normally suicide with a different name," she told him. "Peter just found out that he even has parents really. He can't lose us already."

"You mean he just remembered that you were his mother. I'm fairly new to him," Killian remarked darkly.

"Either way. We can't just die on him," she sighed.

He turned to her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Isabel, but didn't he already think I was dead? Wasn't that what you told him before going to Neverland?"

"Not at all." She shook her head. "I never told him anything like that."

"It doesn't matter. You have to help me defeat the Dark One," he insisted.

"I can't," she answered.

"Can't or won't? The two are very different, Isabel." He stepped away from the counter and looked down at her.

"I can't, but even if I could, I wouldn't." Looking up at him, her gaze met his. Hurt, which he tried to mask, shown in his eyes. "I'm not going to help you avenge the death of the woman you tried to replace me with. If this was about your hand, maybe my answer would be different."

"You know about Milah?" He shook his head and looked away from her. "Of course you do. Probably spied on me in Neverland. It wasn't enough that you allowed our son to torment me. You spied on me as well. I should go."

* * *

It was going to end that night. His quest for revenge, his need to see Rumplestiltskin writhing in pain, the ache he felt in his heart over Milah. All of it. Then maybe he could move on with his life and get the hell out of Storybrooke. He didn't know where he would go. He doubted he would be able to get back to the enchanted forest, but maybe he could find somewhere in that world where he would belong. One of the things he had learned over the years was how to adapt. It was something he was good at, something he was rather used to unfortunately. His life forced him to become good at it when his mother died. Ever since her death, Killian did nothing but adapt to new situations and environments. Neverland at least gave him a break from it. The island changed daily, but everything else stayed the same. Peter and his little bug attacked him and played tricks on him. He would constantly search for a way to kill Rumplestiltskin while also trying to put Peter in his place. The thought made Killian ill.

A vision of a tinier Isabel locked inside a lantern, miniscule fists beating against the glass, and an angry jingling demanding that he let her out. Then there were the several close fights with Peter where he was certain he'd killed the boy. It seemed it didn't matter that he'd never been part of their little family unit. Even deprived of it as he was, Killian regretted it. There was nothing he could really. He couldn't change it. He couldn't go back and tell himself to be patient, take a closer look. It really didn't matter anymore. When it was all over, his wife and son weren't going to have him back. There was too much there to just forgive completely. He was afraid that time was no longer on their side. Neverland would be the only place where they could possibly work things out, but they weren't in Neverland. Things likely weren't going to work out. He had nothing to live for anymore except to kill the crocodile.

While explaining why the shawl was so important to Rumplestiltskin, Smee mentioned the town line. He even gave Killian directions. Should the Dark One cross the town line without a bit of magic and the shawl, he would forget who he was altogether. He would forget everything, and there would be no fun for Killian if he didn't know what he was being punished for. As Killian gathered, Mr. Gold was not a savory character to begin with. Maybe without his memories Killian could rid the town of a menace, be a hero, but it still wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. Killian quickly made his way to the town line. A peculiar looking contraption sat close to Belle and the Dark One. He could hear them talking, though he honestly didn't want to hear anything they were saying. The scene was just too sickening. Instead, he thought about how delicious it was going to be to break it up.

The crocodile poured some kind of magic potion over the green shawl. Killian sucked in a breath and hoped the magic worked. Of course his hope was not for Baelfire to be found. His hope wasn't even for the Dark One to remember his love. Killian's hope was to shoot his crocodile with the gun Belle left on his ship. It would be a quick kill, but perhaps he could do something that would satisfy is need for vengeance even more. Killing Rumplestiltskin would always be the main goal, but forcing Belle to forget him might be more torturous for him. She was his true love, caused him to change. She got him to spare Killian. Shooting her in that moment might be the better option. The potion worked, and Rumplestiltskin in fact remembered Belle. Killian released the breath he wasn't aware he was holding out of relief. Rather than attack immediately, he watched the two of them.

"Oh, Belle, I so wish you were coming with me," Rumplestiltskin said sadly.

"As do I, but..." she paused and smiled softly at him. "It doesn't matter."

"And why not?" he asked.

"Because you'll find him. And, when you do, I'll be here waiting for you when you get back," she answered.

Killian wanted to vomit, but a smirk grew on his face. Belle didn't know how wrong she was. She wasn't going to be there waiting for him because she wasn't going to remember anything about the Dark One. Apparently, there was no coming back from crossing the town line. Belle and Rumplestiltskin start to hug one another, and Killian saw the time window for his attack closing quickly. Raising the gun, he aimed at Belle's shoulder. He didn't want to kill her. He hoped the push from the bullet entering her body would make her cross the line. Killian allowed all of his malice to fill him as he pulled the trigger. "I wouldn't count on it."

"Belle?! Belle? Belle!" Rumplestiltskin started to panic as he lowered her to the ground. She did cross the town line.

Belle looked up at the older man, clearly confused and panicky as well. "W-Who's Belle?"

The crocodile continued to panic, and Killian felt a sense of accomplishment. She didn't remember him. Blood poured from her wound, and the Dark One's eyes widened as he looked in Killian's direction.

"Oh fear not. She'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are," Killian teased.

"What you've done cannot be undone!" the old man cried out.

"Now you finally know how it feels!" Killian held his arms out, dropping the gun to the ground. He watched Rumplestiltskin stand up, and he smirked. "Well go ahead, crocodile! Do your worst!"

"Oh I intend to."

Raising his hand, Rumplestiltskin produced a fireball in his hand. He prepared to hurl it at the pirate, but a pair of lights coming towards them distracted the two of them. While the old man managed to roll himself and Bell out of the way, Killian stood there and prepared to take the beast down. Instead, it took him down. He rolled over the mechanical monster, and pain shot through him. He landed on the road. The pain caused the world around him to go blurry. Nothing going on around him made sense. All he knew was the pain he was feeling. He was wounded, and maybe his pride was a little hurt too. He may have done harm to Rumplestiltskin, but now he was as well. He was hoping he'd come out on top of it all.

His eyes refused to stay open. He wanted to see the look of horror on the Dark One's face, but he knew he wouldn't be able to. Killian was too stunned. Nothing registered for him like he needed it too. Usually, he'd be hightailing it out of the shitty situation he'd found himself in. Not in a cowardly fashion. He had his small victory, and with the promise to return to finish the job, he would take the time to heal before doing so. Every noise around him confused him, though almost every voice was familiar to him. Then Emma appeared in front of him. Even though he was still in shock, he was alert enough to tease her.

"Hey, beautiful," he coughed. "I didn't think you'd notice."

Emma didn't say anything. Instead, she pressed onto the side he was holding. Killian cried out in pain, trying to suck in a lung full of air. "Your ribs are broken."

"Oh," he chuckled, wincing, "that must be why it hurts when I laugh. Did you see his face? His one true love gone in an instant. Just like Milah, crocodile, when you took her from me!"

"But you took her first," Rumplestiltskin spat back. He lunged at Killian and held the cane to the pirate's throat.

Emma struggled to pull the old man off Killian. "Gold! Are you insane?!"

"Yes I am." Killian coughed as the crocodile continued to choke him.

"You can't do that!" David tried his hand at pulling the older man away, but Rumplestiltskin still resisted. David pulled him back only a little. The cane stayed lodged in Killian's throat.

"I can if you let me go," the crocodile argued.

"You don't want her to see that," Emma told him.

"I am a stranger to her," he whimpered.

"Murder is a bad first impression," Emma said.

"What would Belle want you to do?" David asked as another strange vehicle showed up. He pulled Rumplestiltskin off Killian who gasped for air. It hurt to breathe, and Killian felt like he might pass out from the pain again. David called the new arrivals over to Killian. Sadly, Emma directed them elsewhere. Of course, she'd do that. He guessed it was payback for their last meeting. He'd be sure to return the favor in kind later. Killian would heal up, and Emma would regret letting him suffer for a bit longer. An ambulance, as he heard it called, arrived with more help. David called them over again. The pain came back as they jostled him around too much. They weren't nearly as gentle as he'd like. Then they stabbed him in the arm with something and injected some form of liquid into him. It made the pain go away, but he suddenly felt very sleepy. His consciousness started to slip away from him. The last thing he saw was Emma sitting off to the side.

* * *

Isabel made sure all the lights were off before starting up the stairs. It had been a long, emotional day for her. All she wanted was to crawl into her bed and forget about everything for a good long while. Her night with Peter never truly recovered. Peter came down from his room, but they never returned to their movie. They sat in silence until Peter decided they should just call it a night, and that's what she was doing, calling it a night. Although, something told her that her night wasn't exactly over. That feeling was confirmed when someone knocked on the door. Sighing, she closed her eyes. She was tired of surprises. Even more so, she was just plain exhausted. Somehow she got herself down the stairs and to the front door.

"Ruby, what brings you here?" she asked once she answered the door.

"I need to tell you something. I figured you would like to know since you're...well, you're Tinkerbell and Peter's your son," the taller girl muttered quickly. "Captain Hook is here. He attacked Gold and Belle. He's in the hospital right now, but you two might be next."

Isabel dashed up the stairs to Peter's room, Ruby in tow. "Get up, Peter! Now!"

The boy groaned, rubbing his eyes as he sat up slightly. "What-why?"

"Your father is hurt," she told him. "Now get up!"

"Father?" Ruby asked incredulously as she followed Isabel into her room.

Isabel grabbed a pair of shoes and a coat, throwing them onto the bed. She then grabbed a pair of jeans from the closet and began to change. "Yes. Father."

"So he's Peter's..." Ruby trailed off, confusion evident in her eyes.

"He's my husband. Will you take us to him?" Ruby nodded while Isabel sat, putting her shoes on. "Good. Now tell me what you know."

"He was hit by a car. They took him to the hospital. Broken ribs maybe," Ruby started. "He shot Belle."

Isabel paused for a second. Where did he even get a gun? She sighed. "Of course he did." Looking up at Ruby, she tried not to sound annoyed with the world. "Is he okay at least? Nothing too major?"

Ruby shrugged. "I didn't see him. I left as soon as Snow called me."

"We should get going then." The smaller girl walked out of the bedroom. Peter stood at the top of the stairs; coat on but still too sleepy to change out of his pajamas.

The ride to the hospital was almost completely silent. Ruby probably had a million questions, but Isabel chose to answer them when they got to the hospital. No need to answer the same questions over and over. Everyone else was bound to have them as well. Thankfully, the ride was short. Any more glances from Ruby and Isabel would probably scream. She knew how it was going to sound. Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Captain Hook were a family. They all fought and tried to kill one another on a regular basis. Not exactly typical family behavior. She could only guess what they'd say about the full story. Faking your death wasn't exactly normal behavior either. Isabel had hoped she could keep the whole story between them. The town was already judgmental enough. She wasn't going to worry about it. There were other things to think about. Whatever scrutiny the town wanted to put her through, she needed to focus on the fact that Killian was in trouble. Ruby told her that Mr. Gold healed Belle, but she didn't remember anyone or anything. There was no way the Charmings would let Killian go free after harming Belle. Even if the physical wound was there, he'd caused Belle anguish, and Belle was an innocent. She had nothing to do with the animosity between Gold and Killian, yet she found herself in the middle of it.

Once at the hospital, Isabel barely let Ruby park before getting out of the car. She marched into the emergency room and quickly found Snow and David chatting; Peter at her heels. When Snow spotted her, she gave Isabel a bewildered look.

"Isabel," she spoke up.

"Where is he?" Isabel asked eagerly.

"Emma's questioning Hook," David answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to see him," she answered. David and Snow exchanged worried glances. Isabel sighed. "He's my husband. I faked my death. Long story. Where is he?"

Snow held her hands up. "Slow down. Husband? I thought the three of you were enemies."

"He didn't know who we were," Peter chimed in. He said it so nonchalant, like their feud was normal.

"Like I said, long story," Isabel added.

"He's in room 106," David told her, "but you can't see him until Emma is finished questioning him. Cora is here. We need to know where she is. He's going to tell us."

"My guess is wherever Regina is. Might be better to ask where they aren't," she shrugged. "Cora is smart enough to use him for whatever her actual plan is, but she's not going to reveal much else to him. Where she's currently hiding would be one of them."

"Can you go get Emma?" he asked, looking over at Snow. "I'll stay here with Isabel and Peter." Snow nodded before disappearing down the hall. David gestured for Isabel to sit, which she didn't take. "Did you know they were here?"

"I knew about him. Guess I didn't think about how he got here," she lied. "If you knew him, you'd know he lucks out quite a bit. He could have gotten here without her help."

David stayed quiet for a moment. "What about Terence?"

"Still together. Killian and I...we have a lot to work through, and I promised Terence that we would try to keep our relationship going," she answered, even though she was sure none of that was his business.

"And yet you ran here."

David did have a point, which she didn't have time to acknowledge. Snow returned, looking rather stoic as she approached.

* * *

Whatever they injected him with wore off too quickly for Killian's liking. And with Emma pressing on his ribs to get him to talk, he wished they'd given him more. Her roughness left him with a dull ache in his side, which he acknowledged as soon as she stepped out of the room. It hurt, but it also never subsided. Just lessened. He pulled at his restraints to test their strength. With a little luck, he'd break free. The last thing he needed was to stay in place. One point Emma made was Rumplestiltskin would likely come after him. It would have been a cowardly move for the crocodile to strike while Killian was wounded, and that is what worried him. Killian was unable to defend himself in that moment. Not a prime spot to be in.

Emma returned, and Killian had to wipe all vexation off his face. "What now?"

"Tell me about Isabel," he demanded.

"Isabel?" Disbelief coated the name. How did Emma know? He closed his eyes, huffing to cover how uneasy he felt again. "She was my wife at one point in time."

"She's here to see you. Shall I let her in?" she asked. "Also the nurse is here with some medication. Give her any hell and you'll go without."

He nodded. "Let Isabel in."

Emma left the room as a woman entered the room. She must have been the nurse because she certainly wasn't Isabel. A tube stuck out of Killian's arm, and she stuck the syringe into a part of it. A warmth entered his bloodstream, making his mind fuzzy. The door to the room opened. There stood Isabel with Peter hiding behind her. Lifting his hand, he motioned for them to come closer. They stepped into the room and the light from the hallway created a yellow aura around Isabel.

The warmth turned into an overpowering sleepiness that he couldn't fight. His eyes grew heavy as they did on the side of the road, but before he closed them, he looked up at his wife with a dreamy look in his eyes. "Why, Miss Bell, you've gotten your glow back."


	8. Chapter 7: Happily

_**Holy smokes! Distant Melody has hit 12000+ reads! I think this one has just hit over 2000? I'm not sure. I'll have to check that, but I want to take a moment to thank everyone for reading. I know it's a simple thing to read. Just the fact that you guys have taken the time out to read DM and this one is amazing. You are amazing, and I am so grateful to all of you for keeping me super motivated to keep writing. Love you all!**_

_**Also, I want to thank those who have followed/favorited/reviewed: SlyLittleLuna1234 and CirceanPoison. You guys are super duper awesome!**_

* * *

_Enchanted Forest – Past_

Tapestries lined the palace walls. They depicted various scenes that made up the history of the kingdom. Isabel didn't know much about history. She liked fiction much better so she made up her own stories. They were much more entertaining than the actual history. She passed by what she always thought was a picture of the first royal family. They looked practically ancient but still very distinguished. She liked to pretend that they arrived in the kingdom, and because they looked much nobler than anyone else, they were promoted to royalty. In truth, they were probably from two different noble families and married. As she walked through the hallway, she felt as if she were being watched. She came to the end and spotted Prince Hubert staring at her from inside the library. He smiled at her and waved her into the room.

"Lady Isabel, how wonderful to see you," he grinned.

"Prince Hubert," she said with an uneasy tone in her voice, which he didn't pick up on.

"Join me?" he asked, gesturing to the spot beside him.

"I think my father will be finished soon," she told him.

"Just while you wait then," he insisted.

"I…" she sighed. "Fine." She sat on the couch opposite of him. "So…how have you been?"

"I have been very well. Father had attained a new ally so I have been visiting them." He smiled to himself.

There was something about the way he said it that creeped her out. Normally, she was cordial to everyone. Prince Hubert was someone who didn't get politeness from her most of the time. As children, he had a schoolboy crush on her, but it turned into something much more lecherous when they got older. Maybe, if he was attracted to more than her body and her face, she'd feel differently about him. Yet, it was just her face and body, and he always admitted to it. According to him, pretty people were made for one another. Love didn't play into it. Great genetics were all that mattered. Because of that, Isabel would rather drink poison than be seen anywhere with him. She was incredibly thankful that she had Killian. Prince Hubert had already tried his hand at winning Isabel's hand in marriage. Her father managed to step in right before the king could demand she marry his worm of a son. She was taken, called for, promised to someone else. Luckily, King Ferdinand was not like his son. He believed in love and looking at more than just someone's physical make up. Why his son turned out that way was beyond her. Neither of his parents believed in that sort of thing. At least, she didn't get that feeling from them.

"That's...good." She tried not to sound too bored or even disgusted with him.

"How have you been?" he asked. He obviously didn't really care. As soon as he asked, he looked back down at his book.

"I've been well," she answered. Then she got an idea. She wanted to see his reaction to something. "I got engaged."

"Ah." He didn't look up from his book, but his expression changed from feigned indifference to annoyance. "Could he not afford a ring?"

"I didn't want one," she shrugged.

Hubert's eyebrow raised as he turned a page. "It would help let others know you're called for. Officially that is."

"I was before the engagement," she told him.

"If you say so, dear Isabel," he shrugged.

She grinned. "I do say so. Stopped you, didn't it?"

"My father stopped me. Had he been anyone else, we would be married by now. Your father would be set for life."

"He does fine on his own," she said defensively. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh.

Hubert seemed amused at her defensiveness. "Relax, love. I'm saying he would never have to worry during the times he didn't have much work. I know he likes to work."

"Keep your judgement to youself," she spat.

"I like that you're feisty. Would have made our marriage interesting," he smirked.

"Even if I weren't engaged, Hubert, I would never marry you. You are a pompous prick who only cares about looks. Why you think we would even be good together is beyond me."

Her voice was calm as she spoke. If she had sounded meaner, Hubert probably have her arrested for her rudeness. Instead, he looked even more amused at her little outburst. Their fathers walked into the library, and Isabel had never been more happier to be interrupted. Standing quickly. she went to stand beside her father. King Ferdinand looked over at his son before turning towards Isabel and smiling.

He smiled affectionately at her. "Isabel, I have invited your father and you to dinner. He said he would have to check with you to see if that is okay."

"She probably wants to get back to her betrothed," Humbert grumbled.

Ferdinand looked to William in suprise. "Betrothed...is little Isabel engaged?"

"That she is," William answered.

Isabel made a mental note to thank her father later. She nodded up at the king. "It's fairly recent."

"Then congratulations are in order. I insist you have dinner with us then!" Ferdinand beamed.

"Then I guess we must stay for dinner," Isabel smiled.

"Splendid! I'll have them start now. You two have a long journey ahead." With that, Ferdinand left the library.

* * *

His hands trembled out of nervousnness. There were only a few times in Killian's life that his nerves got the better of him. Talking to Harry about marrying Isabel and himself was probably the biggest of those times. Harry could easily say no. He could also be against Killian getting married. Not that he actually was, but he knew that meant Killian would only be part of his crew for a little while longer. In effect, Harry would be losing part of his crew. At the same time, he'd be losing a son. Harry didn't seem the type to stand in anyone's way, but Killian also remembered the necklace debacle. Hard had good intention saying no, yet Killian was still a little bitter.

Walking into the Captain's quarters, Killian shifted from one foot to the other. "Captain..."

"Yes?" Harry inquired, not looking up from the map on his desk.

"I have something to tell you," the younger man told him.

"Did you get arrested again?" Harry asked.

"No," Killian shook his head.

"Then out with it, son. I'm in the middle of something," Harry grumbled.

Killian took a deep breath. "When Isabel and her father return tonight, I plan on proposing."

Harry stopped pouring over his map and looked up at Killian. "Propose? Really?"

"Yes," he nodded.

Harry sat back in his chair. "Should have seen that coming I suppose. Does she have any idea?"

"She knows I plan to eventually," Killian shrugged.

"And her father?" Harry asked.

"He's given me permission, and he wants us to wear his and her mother's rings. I'd like it...we would like it if you would marry us." Killian's voice had gotten smaller and quieter. He barely looked at Harry while the older pirate thought about what Killian had said. The boy's nerves were nothing like they were before he entered the cabin. They were worse.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there no one else in this town you two can think of?"

"We really want you to do it," Killian answered. "We would be deeply honored if you would."

Harry sighed, and Killian suddenly felt like he might vomit from his nerves. He was going to say no. Fuck he was going to say no, and Isabel was going to be so disappointed. She was going to be so disappointed, and then they wouldn't ever get married. She'd go off with Terence. They'd get married, have children, and live happily ever after. He was starting to panic. Gods he was scared to lose her because of this. He felt like he really would. Part of him felt like he would always feel that way. One false move, and she would be gone.

"Alright. I'll do it. Stop fretting and get yoru fucking hand out of your mouth," Harry laughed.

Killian pulled his hand away from his mouth, realizing he'd been biting his nails. He smiled when he also realized Harry had said yes. If Harry were the hugging type, Killian would give him one. Instead, he nodded and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Harry stood up, going over to a chest. Unlocking it, he reached inside and pulled out something. Killian couldn't tell what it was until he placed it in the boy's hand. A ring. One of those type of rings they found in treasure chests and normally sold. Harry apparently kept one. Killian wasn't sure why, but it was beautiful. It suited Isabel perfectly. Killian held it in his hand. The more he looked at it, the more he realized it wasn't something they found. It had been his wife's.

"Thank you," Killian said quietly.

"Give it to Isabel. I know I'm not really your father, but I'd like for you to have that," Harry told him.

"You were more of a father to me than my own father was so please. Never tell yourself you aren't my real father because you are to me."

* * *

Isabel's horse whinnied impatiently as they both stood and waited for the two men to finish their conversation. The hour was growing later by the second, and the moon was started in rise in the sky. Not that Isabel didn't enjoy visiting King Ferdinand or watching how such a noble man could be personable with someone like her father and herself. She loved it, but her heart had started longing to be with Killian. The distance between them made her ache all over. Her arms hurt to be around him. Her skin tingled at just the thought of touching his skin again. She wanted to get back home as fast as she could. If her father would have allowed it, she would have been gone long before nightfall. Now they had to ride home in the dark and pray nothing happened on the way there.

Leaning forward, she patted the horse's neck with a sigh. "I know, Sugar. They're like two women in the market."

"My father could have you beheaded for saying that," Hubert mused as he strutted up to her.

"And let me guess, if it were you, you wouldn't hesitate to throw more of your power around," she rolled her eyes.

"I would make an exception for you. My queen could say all the nastiest things about me, and I would just laugh it off." He waved his hand in the air as if to show it wasn't a big deal.

She scoffed. "Oh sure. What was it you say all the time? 'It doesn't matter what the people think of the king as long as the queen thinks highly of him, and if she doesn't think highly of him, he can find one that does.' You would have your wife's head if she sneezed and you got a little on you."

"Oh, Isabel. If you were my queen, I would cherish your insolence. After all, you were not raised as I was," he laughed.

"Just because I am not castle-borne, it does not mean that my manners are any less than yours. In fact, it has always seemed that I was more mannerly." She glanced down at him. "And believe me, it doesn't take much to out polite you. Sugar here has more manners than you, and she shits while walking."

"Do not compare me to a beast, Isabel. Don't even compare me to that pirate scum you claim to be engaged to." He stomped away to sulk in the corner of the courtyard.

It seemed struck a nerve with Hubert. A sense of pride filled Isabel. She didn't even care that he saw through her lie where his father hadn't. She had finally gotten to him. If she had known he didn't want to be called an animal, she would have long before. Still, there was a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had insulted him for years, on several occasions, and relations between their fathers always seemed very good. Business from the kingdom only slowed a little because of their lack of fighting. Now that she had finally insulted him to the point of anger, she wondered if that was going to be the case. Even if she wanted to defend Killian in that moment, Isabel said no more in case she made matters worse. Only time would prove if she had hurt business with King Ferdinand. Until then, she really could not fret over it. She would tell her father in case he wondered what happened. As she glanced over at the two men, a pang of guilt struck her. She didn't know the story of how they became friends. All she knew was they were friends, and there was a chance she ruined it. William didn't interact with many people. He worked mostly. Seeing him actually have a conversation and laugh with someone that wasn't his daughter or her boyfriend made Isabel happy. Because he was happy. He was happy to stand there and talk about the past with an old friend. Another pang of guilt struck her as William mounted his horse next to her. He was smiling. He smiled a lot but never that big or bright. They said their goodbyes to the king and were on their way. Isabel stayed quiet for the first hour; internally fretting over what she'd done and said. Maybe she didn't screw anything up. Maybe everything would turn out for the best. Her father helped provide weapons for more than just King Ferdinand's soldiers. Not to mention, he did get a lot of local business.

"What's on your mind, Isabel?" William asked.

"Huh? Oh nothing," she shook her head.

"Right. So you're biting your nails out of habit now?" he chuckled. "Maybe Killian has been a bad influence on you."

She dropped her hand. "Prince Hubert is an ass."

"You say that every time," he told her.

"Well this time I told him," she threw out there.

William didn't respond for a second, but then he erupted with laughter. "Did you now? Well good. Ferdinand and I have been wondering when you would. Looks like he owes me some money."

"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you worried that you insulted him?" he asked.

"Uh...yeah," she answered. "He's the prince."

"And Ferdinand will not punish us for telling the truth. Hubert is too high on himself most of the time. His father is well aware of that." William looked at her. "And I highly doubt your honesty will phase Hubert very much."

"I compared him to the horse," she told him.

William laughed again. "Oh, Isabel." He stopped his horse, and Isabel did the same. "Do not worry about it. I'll send a letter to the king to make sure, but I'm sure he'll understand. Now let's get home."

They started back towards home. Isabel's mind was put at ease for the moment. She would focus on getting home to Killian instead. For the entire day, she kept thinking back to him. Her birthday had passed. She half expected him to propose, but he hadn't. Isabel wasn't disappointed. It was supposed to be a surprise. Still, she wondered why he was stalling. She wanted to marry him the second they kissed for the first time. She did understand his hang ups, though. Love was dangerous for him. He made enemies. Any of them could find out about her, come after her to hurt him. He did talk more and more about trying to get a normal job where it wouldn't matter all that much. "Going legit." That's what he called it. They were going to be together. They were going to have a life together where they wouldn't have to worry. Maybe he wanted to get that squared away first. Maybe he wanted to tell Captain Finnegan to start looking for another cabin boy. She wasn't sure. She just knew it hadn't happened yet.

Hours later, they made it home. A light could be seen shining in the front part of the house. Killian was there, and it was confirmed when he rushed out of the house to greet them. Isabel hopped down from her horse and threw her arms around him. She held onto him as if he'd been the one that was gone all day. She missed him so much. His arms wrapped around her small frame. They stood there for minutes.

"Alright, you two. Get a grip," William chuckled. "I'll put the horses away."

Killian was the first to pull away. He took her hand, smiling down at her. "Never again leave for the entire day," he teased.

"Now you know how I feel normally," she joked back.

Killian frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It comes with it, you know?" She kissed him, pulling him closer. "And we're both here now. No need to be sorry about anything, love."

"You wanted to go for a walk? It's late, but I just wanted a moment with you," he looked at her with hope in his eyes.

She nodded. "Yeah. Let's go for a walk." She saw her father walking back towards the house. We'll be back shortly," she told him, not waiting for him to nod or ask any questions. Pulling Killian with her, they started for the river.

An excitement filled the two of them. For Isabel, it was being back with him after a day away. He gave her this giddiness that always made her more hyper than she normally was. She hated that it went away when he was gone. She chalked it up to how happy he seemed to be to see her. She blamed her love for him. Killian's hands shook as they walked, and while Isabel would normally say something to him, she decided against it. She thought it was just the same excitement she felt. After an incredibly long day apart, it was exciting for her to be near him again. She figured it was the same for him. At least, she hoped it was. As they approached the river, he shook even more. Isabel frowned up at him, but he gave her what seemed to be a reassuring smile. Whatever was going on with him, she was very confused as to what it actually was.

He stopped them underneath one of the fire lily trees. Flowers littered the ground. The red blossoms were scattered; none of them making it to the river. Isabel bent to pick one up, but Killian stopped her while shaking his head. It was then that she noticed his hand was firmly clasped around something. She wasn't sure if he had been holding it the entire time or if he had it stashed away in the leather pouch she'd given him on his birthday. His balled up hand rested on the side of her arm.

"My dear Isabel," he breathed.

She tilted her head to the side. He only called her that when he wanted something, but what could he possibly want? "Killian..."

"I have missed you," he barely whispered.

"I missed you too," she told him. "Why are you being all weird?"

"Because I'm nervous as hell," he chuckled uneasily.

"About?" she inquired.

He took a deep breath. "I spoke with Harry today about something important, and he said yes. He's agreed to marry us when we're ready."

"You had to bring me all the way to the river to tell me that. Haven't you already spoke to father about stealing me away?" A smile spread on her face, but he didn't quite reflect her playful manner.

"I brought you out here to give you this." He held up his hand. There he held a gold ring with the most beautiful stone she had ever seen. "Harry gave it to me, told me to give it to you when I asked you to marry me. So, my dear Isabel, I want you to become my wife. It doesn't have to be immediately. I just couldn't let this go on one more day. I know you wonder about when it's going to happen so I'm asking you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Isabel smiled up at him, nodding. "Of course I'll marry you."

"Really?" he asked.

She giggled. "Yes really. Did you honestly think I was going to say no? After all this time?""

He shook his head, taking her hand. Killian slipped the ring onto her finger. Then his arms wrapped around her tightly and he hugged her to him. Isabel swore she could feel his heart about to beat out of his chest. Her arms encircled him. After spending half of the day talking about the man she was about to marry, the lie was no longer that. She and Killian were actually going to get married. From what she understood, he procured Captain Finnegan to marry them. They had talked about it before. Isabel really wanted Harry to marry them because he was much like a father for Killian. She thought there would be nothing more special than having someone who meant a lot to Killian marry them. Isabel looked up at him with a bright smile on her face. She felt as if her face might crack at any moment, but she couldn't help it. She was just so happy. She never doubted that he was hers, but now it was more official. They were going to get married. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together, and she couldn't be happier.


End file.
